<\/p>\n
An Emirati patrol boat, left, is near a tanker anchored in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from a coastal road near Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Friday, May 1, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fatima Shbair\/AP<\/p>\n
A man stands in the water, appearing to fish, as bulk carriers, cargo ships, and service vessels line the horizon in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Monday, April 27, 2026.(Razieh Poudat\/ISNA via AP)<\/p>\n
Razieh Poudat\/AP<\/p>\n
Men gather along the shore, some crouching and watching a game, as a mix of bulk carriers, cargo ships, and service vessels line the horizon in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Monday, April 27, 2026.(Razieh Poudat\/ISNA via AP)<\/p>\n
Razieh Poudat\/AP<\/p>\n
Cargo ships are seen at sea near the Strait of Hormuz, as viewed from a rocky shoreline near Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Friday, May 1, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fatima Shbair\/AP<\/p>\n
A tanker, left, and a car carrier are anchored at sea in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from the coast near Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Friday, May 1, 2026.<\/p>\n
Fatima Shbair\/AP<\/p>\n
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) \u2014 The United States is warning shipping companies that they could face sanctions for making payments to Iran to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The alert posted Friday by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control adds another layer of pressure in the standoff between the U.S. and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
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About a fifth of the world’s trade in oil and natural gas typically passes through the strait at the mouth of the Persian Gulf in peacetime.<\/p>\n
Iran effectively closed the strait to normal traffic by attacking and threatening to attack ships after the U.S. and Israel launched a war on Feb. 28. It later began offering some ships safe passage by detouring them through alternate routes closer to its shoreline, charging fees at times for the service.<\/p>\n
That “tollbooth\u201d effort is the focus of the U.S. sanctions warning.<\/p>\n
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The payment demands could include transfers not only in cash but also \u201cdigital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or other in-kind payments,\u201d including chartibale donations and payments at Iranian embassies, OFAC said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOFAC is issuing this alert to warn U.S. and non-U. S. persons about the sanctions risks of making these payments to, or soliciting guarantees from, the Iranian regime for safe passage. These risks exist regardless of payment method,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n
The U.S. responded to Iran’s closure of the strait with a naval blockade of its own on April 13, preventing any Iranian tankers from leaving and depriving Iran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy.<\/p>\n
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The U.S. Central Command said 45 commercial ships have been told to turn around since the blockade began.<\/p>\n
Trump rejects Iranian proposal<\/p>\n
The warning came as U.S. President Donald Trump swiftly rejected Iran\u2019s latest proposal to end the war between the countries.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey want to make a deal, I\u2019m not satisfied with it, so we\u2019ll see what happens,\u201d Trump said Friday at the White House. He didn’t elaborate on what he saw as its shortcomings but expressed frustration with the Iranian leadership.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s a very disjointed leadership,\u201d Trump said. \u201cThey all want to make a deal, but they\u2019re all messed up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s state-run IRNA news agency reported Iran handed over its plan to mediators in Pakistan on Thursday night.<\/p>\n
The shaky three-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran appears to be holding, though both countries have traded accusations of violations. The standoff is increasingly putting pressure on the global economy, driving up prices and leading to shortages of fuel and other products tied to the oil industry.<\/p>\n
Negotiations continued by phone after Trump called off his envoys\u2019 trip to Pakistan last week, the president said. Trump this week floated a new plan to reopen the critical passageway used by America\u2019s Gulf allies to export their oil and gas.<\/p>\n
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has briefed many of his regional counterparts on the country’s initiatives to end the ear, according to his social media. He also held talks Friday with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who is in contact with the EU\u2019s Gulf partners.<\/p>\n
China\u2019s UN envoy urges Iran to lift restrictions<\/p>\n
Fu Cong, the Chinese ambassdor to the United Nations, said Friday that maintaining the ceasefire is \u201cthe most urgent issue” as well as bringing together the sides to resume good faith negotiations \u201cto make sure that the ground is laid for reopening of Hormuz.\u201d<\/p>\n
Foreign Minister Wang Yi \u201chas been on the phone almost constantly\u201d with representatives from all sides, Fu said, adding that China supports Pakistan\u2019s efforts to mediate between the parties.<\/p>\n
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Fu stressed the root cause of the tremendous suffering in Iran and neighboring countries and the growing turmoil in the global economy, especially in developing countries, \u201cis the illegitimate war by the U.S. and Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Edith Lederer at the U.N. contributed to this report<\/p>\n
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