Iran’s Supreme National Security Council announced Monday the formation of a new authority to manage the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway Tehran has effectively closed since February and begun charging ships to traverse.

What is Iran’s new Strait of Hormuz authority?

The Persian Gulf Strait Authority, or PGSA, is Iran’s newly created body to oversee maritime movement through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Supreme National Security Council said on its official X account that the PGSA would provide real-time updates on Hormuz strait operations and latest developments. The Revolutionary Guards navy shared the same post.

What will the PGSA actually do?

The full scope of the PGSA’s role remains unclear. Earlier this month, Iranian English-language broadcaster Press TV described the body as a system to exercise sovereignty over the strait and said ships transiting the waterway had been sent regulations from the email address info@pgsa.ir.

The announcement comes days after Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s parliamentary national security commission, said Tehran had “prepared a professional mechanism to manage traffic” through the strait and that it would be unveiled soon.

How has Iran controlled the Strait of Hormuz since the war?

Iran has largely blocked shipping through the strait since war broke out with the United States and Israel on Feb. 28.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 8, but Tehran’s grip on the waterway has continued, rattling global markets and giving Iran significant leverage in any negotiations. The United States has imposed its own naval blockade on Iranian ports in response.

Why does the Strait of Hormuz matter for global energy?

In peacetime, the route carries roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, along with other key commodities including fertilizer. Iran has repeatedly stated since the war began that maritime traffic through the strait will not return to its pre-war status.

Last month, Tehran said it had collected its first revenue from tolls charged on vessels passing through the waterway.