Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Mohsen Rezaei announced that Tehran will formally declare a new “restricted maritime zone” extending outside the Strait of Hormuz, escalating its operational pressure on international shipping routes.
The proposed exclusion corridor will span from the perimeter of the U.S. Navy’s blockade line into broader sections of the Persian Gulf. Under the new operational guidelines outlined by Iranian state media, any commercial or military vessel entering the designated zone with intent to transit the strait without direct coordination with Iranian naval authorities will be placed on a blacklist and subjected to retaliatory targeting or sanctions enforcement.
The announcement follows U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) strikes that disabled three Iranian oil tankers near Jask and Kharg Island in response to IRGC missile fire directed at American naval vessels. Rezaei reiterated that the waterway remains under the direct control of Iran’s armed forces, dismissing Washington’s assurances of open navigation while asserting that commercial maritime transit has dropped to near-zero levels.
Furthermore, Iranian officials indicated that a bilateral agreement with Oman regarding maritime transit management under Iranian surveillance is expected to be formalized shortly, raising concerns across international shipping hubs regarding global energy security and supply chain continuity.
