China firm gave Iran lifeline to collect Hormuz tolls before pulling plug amid US warning

Iran’s sanctioned Persian Gulf Straits Authority (PGSA) regained secure online access for four days after a Shanghai-based internet security firm provided and then revoked its web credentials, enabling Tehran to vet vessels, collect Strait of Hormuz tolls and operate despite U.S. digital restrictions, global internet monitors said.

TrustAsia issued an automated domain-validated certificate, a routine process that verifies control of a website domain through server checks and typically does...