Iran to Declare New 'Restricted Zone' Outside Strait of Hormuz, Sanctioning Non-Coordinating Ships

Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Iran would announce a new 'restricted zone' outside the Strait of Hormuz 'in the coming days,' extending from the line where the US naval blockade begins, through the strait, and into the Persian Gulf. Ships transiting the zone without coordinating with Iran would be placed on Tehran's sanctions list, affecting their insurance coverage and future passage rights. Rezaei framed the move as part of a broader strategic shift to increase pressure on Washington, and separately said maps for a new international shipping corridor through Iranian and Omani waters had been agreed and were expected to be signed soon. The announcement came two days after the US struck three Iranian oil tankers near Kharg Island and the Gulf of Oman; tanker traffic through Hormuz fell to a four-month low.