Iran asserts control over Strait of Hormuz, plans new legislation. Iran asserts control over Strait of Hormuz, plans new legislation. 2026 Iran is asserting control over the Strait of Hormuz and planning new legislation, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif speaks during a news conference at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, France on December 12, 2015. The move comes amid tensions with the United States and European Union over Iran's nuclear program and its international sanctions. Iran has not commented on the new legislation, which will likely be seen as a move to further tighten its grip on the strait, the only one that connects the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. The strait is strategically important to international shipping, with about 20% of the world's oil traded through it each year. The United States has responded by tightening economic sanctions on Iran, with the goal of forcing it to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Iran's new legislation is expected to further limit international access to the strait.