Iran PGSA Blacklist Update: Gulf Supplier Work

Iran has removed several US-sanctioned LPG carriers from its PGSA non-compliance list, the same day UKMTO reported a tanker strike near Hormuz. For Gulf service providers, the change does not reduce risk; it shifts where the checks are needed.

What changed on the PGSA list

According to Seatrade Maritime News (November 2026), LPG carriers were removed from the PGSA non-compliance list as UKMTO reported a tanker strike in the Hormuz area. The PGSA list is a local compliance tool, separate from US or EU sanctions. A vessel can be clear on one list and still be a commercial risk on the other.

That split matters at the quayside. An LPG carrier that has dropped off the PGSA list may still carry a US-sanctioned owner, manager or insurer. Suppliers who read the removal as a green light can find themselves handling a stem or a husbandry job for a vessel their bank will not touch.

The list is also volatile in both directions. According to Seatrade Maritime News (November 2026), the PGSA non-compliance list almost doubled in size to 240 ships days earlier, with Sinokor tonnage treated the same way as blacklisted vessels.

Why the timing matters

The same-day tanker strike is the operational context. UKMTO (the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which reports security incidents to shipping) flagged the strike, and the PGSA revision came in the same news cycle. Two signals are moving in opposite directions: one list loosens, the physical risk tightens.

For a port agent fixing a Gulf call, that means the pre-arrival risk check has to cover both. A clean PGSA status does not replace a sanctions screen, and a sanctions screen does not replace a security assessment of the approach and anchorage.

The legal picture behind that screen is not tidy either. A 2025 paper in the Juridical Scientific and Electronic Journal examined the international legal framework for sanctions in maritime shipping, using sanctions tied to Russian aggression against Ukraine as its examples, and set out the regulatory and court practice alongside how far those standards have been implemented in national law.

What it means for chandlers, agents and bunker suppliers

The commercial effect lands in three places.

• Due diligence: re-screen every LPG carrier in the pipeline against US, EU and UK lists, not just the PGSA list. Check the registered owner, the technical manager and the DOC holder (the company holding the Document of Compliance under which the ship is operated).
• Pricing: war-risk and security premiums for Hormuz-area calls are set by the physical risk, not by a list revision. Quote on the route, not on the blacklist status.
• Payment terms: a vessel that has just come off a local list may still struggle to get credit from banks. Cash or secured terms on first stems are a reasonable ask.

The broader pattern is not new. Earlier this year, Iran doubled its non-compliant vessel list, and the due-diligence work that created is the same work this revision requires, only in reverse.

The wider risk picture in the same week

Security and compliance are not the only moving parts. According to MarineLink (November 2026), Ukraine renewed attacks on Russian oil refineries, adding to Moscow's difficulty in addressing domestic fuel shortages while it ships diesel to international markets. Refinery outages and export flows change which tankers load where, and that changes which Gulf ports see extra calls.

Offshore energy is also adding hardware. MarineLink reported that CM Energy is strengthening its engagement in the European offshore wind market through an integrated cable-lay installation for ASSO Subsea. Cable-lay campaigns bring support vessels, crews and port calls that need chandlery, bunkers and agency work.

How the compliance picture is being handled

Legal consequences for deliberate damage are also in the news. According to The Maritime Executive (November 2026), the Helsinki District Court convicted the captain and boatswain of the cargo ship Fitburg over damage to two undersea telecommunication cables. The case is a reminder that anchor and cable damage is treated seriously, and that port-state and coastal authorities are watching.

For suppliers, the practical answer is a single record per vessel that holds both statuses, refreshed before each call rather than at the agent's desk on arrival.

What suppliers should do this week

1. Pull every LPG carrier with a Gulf ETA in the next 30 days and re-screen owner, manager and DOC holder against US, EU and UK lists.
2. Separate the PGSA status from the sanctions status in your own records, so a list removal does not overwrite a sanctions flag.
3. Re-quote war-risk and security premiums for Hormuz-area calls on current route risk.
4. Ask for secured terms on first stems from owners or managers you have not served before.
5. Log the reason for each decision, so a later review can see why a vessel was accepted or declined.

For suppliers working the Gulf regularly, the pre-ETA risk check for Gulf port calls sets out the sequence in more detail.

How VesselReach helps

VesselReach turns vessel movements at your target ports into a screened, prioritised outreach list before the ETA.

• Vessel intelligence: see vessels near your ports and scheduled arrivals, which means you can start the compliance and credit check days before the agent calls.
• AI company targeting: the platform identifies the owner, manager or operator behind each vessel, which means you screen the right legal entity, not just the ship name.
• Decision-maker discovery and multichannel outreach: reach operations, technical and procurement roles by email, WhatsApp or phone, which means the due-diligence question reaches the person who can answer it.

Ship chandlers can see the whole workflow on the VesselReach page for ship chandlers, and bunker suppliers on the page for bunker suppliers. Book a VesselReach demo to run the check on your own Gulf ports, with a 10-day free trial after the meeting.