Iran’s Hormuz authority declares control over ports in UAE, Oman: What to know

Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority has declared it is overseeing a maritime area that extends beyond the Strait of Hormuz to ports in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, a move that could further anger Arab states in the Gulf. 

What happened: The authority released a map Wednesday evening detailing what it described as its “Controlled Maritime Zone.” It defines the “areas under Iranian armed forces oversight” as extending beyond the Strait of Hormuz, encompassing the Omani exclave on the Musandam peninsula and parts of the UAE. To the west, the area goes beyond the UAE’s Ras al-Khaimah port to the coastal city of Umm al-Quwain. To the east, it goes beyond the Emirati port of Fujairah. 

“Transit through this area for the purpose of passing through the Hormuz Strait requires coordination with, and authorization from, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority,” said the authority in a statement. 

The area encompasses at least part of the Lesser Tunb island, one of the three Gulf islands that is administered by Iran but claimed by the UAE.