Iran’s army warned Sunday that countries complying with US sanctions against the Islamic Republic would face difficulties crossing the Strait of Hormuz.

The warning came after Washington imposed new sanctions on Iranian interests and told ships not to pay Tehran transit tolls to use the waterway, which has become a major flashpoint since war broke out on Feb. 28.

What did Iran say about the Strait of Hormuz?

Army official Mohammad Akraminia told state news agency IRNA that nations backing US sanctions would face transit difficulties in the strait.

He said Iran had established a new legal and security system requiring all vessels to coordinate with Iranian authorities before passing through. The system is “now in force” and would deliver “economic, security and political gains,” he added.

Is Iran blocking ships from crossing the Strait of Hormuz?

Iran has allowed only a trickle of vessels through the waterway, which in peacetime carries a fifth of the world’s oil and gas flows, along with other vital commodities.

Last month, Iranian deputy parliament speaker Hamidreza Hajibabaei said Tehran had collected its first revenue from the tolls it imposed on strait traffic. The restrictions have raised alarm among global shipping interests and major oil importers.

What is the UN resolution on the Strait of Hormuz?

The United States and Bahrain have drafted a UN Security Council resolution, seen by AFP, calling on Iran to halt its shipping restrictions through the waterway.

Russia, which holds veto power on the council, has warned it is prepared to block the resolution, according to diplomatic sources. Iran’s parliament has also cautioned smaller states against supporting the measure.

What warning did Iran give to Bahrain and other countries?

On Saturday, Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s parliamentary national security commission, issued a similar warning on X, directed at what he called “microstates like Bahrain.”

He wrote that siding with the US-backed resolution would bring “severe consequences,” urging governments not to risk “closing it on yourselves forever.” The statement reinforced Tehran’s position that support for Western pressure would carry direct costs in the strait.