Andre Klynsmith

Business Insights

Who Writes the Rules at Hormuz? Contested Transit Rights Are Becoming a Contract Problem

Iran has begun publishing a list of vessels it says are barred from transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The list now runs to roughly 56 ships after a further 11 were added this month, and at least seven of those vessels have sailed through the strait anyway. That gap between a declared rule and an observed transit is the sharpest illustration yet of a world trade lane with two competing rulebooks.

Business Insights

13 September 2026 • 3 min read

When two authorities claim jurisdiction over the same waterway, the disagreement does not stay at the level of international law. It lands in charter parties, insurance wordings and delivery clauses, and eventually in a dispute about who pays for a delayed container.

A new authority, a new list and a widening zone

The Persian Gulf Strait Authority, established by Iran to oversee Hormuz transits, began publishing its list of non-compliant vessels last month and says listed ships could face transit restrictions. Separately, Iran has announced plans to impose a wider exclusion zone covering areas near the strait, extending the geography over which it asserts control.

Tehran is also reported to be close to agreeing a new shipping corridor with Oman that would run through Iranian and Omani waters under Iranian management. No formal proposal or supporting documentation has yet been submitted to the International Maritime Organization, which leaves the proposed route outside the body that ordinarily codifies routeing measures.

Eighteen maritime states sound the alarm

A coalition of 18 leading maritime nations has warned that sanctions disputes, competing legal interpretations and deepening geopolitical divisions are undermining the rules-based order that underpins global trade. That is an unusually direct statement from states whose registries and fleets carry most of the world's cargo.

The commercial consequence is not abstract. Where two authorities issue conflicting instructions, a master complying with one is by definition non-compliant with the other, and the resulting delay, detention or deviation has to be allocated to somebody under a contract that was almost certainly drafted before any of this existed.

Traffic is adapting, not normalising

Despite the escalating rhetoric, August was the strongest month since the conflict began. At least 346 non-Iranian-linked ships transited the strait, comprising 191 westbound and 155 eastbound voyages, and it was the first month since March in which inbound movements exceeded outbound ones. Inbound traffic is a useful proxy for owner confidence, and it is rising.

But that is adaptation to a higher-risk environment, not a return to normal trading. Weekly volumes remain volatile, falling to 82 transits between 24 and 30 August from 100 the week before. Owners are learning to operate inside contested rules rather than waiting for the rules to be settled.

About the Author
	Andre Klynsmith Entrepreneur & Technology Enthusiast Andre's expertise spans technology, blockchain, transport, and logistics -- with a passion for innovation and driving positive change across industries. info@laaimylorrie.com | laaimylorrie.com