Tehran, September 2026 : Iran is preparing to declare a restricted maritime zone outside the Strait of Hormuz, with officials warning that vessels entering the area without coordination with Tehran could face sanctions affecting their insurance coverage and future access to the strategically important waterway.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the new restricted zone would extend from the point where what Tehran describes as the US naval blockade begins toward the Strait of Hormuz. He added that the zone would also stretch into the Persian Gulf toward the other end of the strait.
Speaking in an interview with Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, Rezaei said ships entering the designated area without coordination with Iran could be placed on a sanctions list. Such measures, he warned, could have consequences for their insurance coverage and their ability to use the waterway in the future.
Rezaei described the proposed move as part of Iran’s broader strategy involving both military pressure and diplomacy. According to him, Tehran’s objective is to increase pressure on the United States while maintaining control over maritime traffic around the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian official also claimed that the strait is currently completely closed, rejecting US statements that commercial vessels and oil tankers continue to pass through the strategic waterway. He described such claims as “lies” and said that vessels attempting to use the route were being monitored.
However, Rezaei acknowledged that some ships have attempted to cross the strait through waters near Oman. He claimed that some vessels had switched off their navigation systems to avoid detection. According to the Iranian official, most such vessels eventually face what he described as a response from Iranian forces.
Despite the heightened tensions, Rezaei said Iran does not currently intend to sink such vessels because doing so could cause significant environmental damage. His comments indicate that Tehran is seeking to exert control over maritime traffic while avoiding actions that could result in a major ecological or international crisis.
Rezaei also claimed that Iran had, 48 hours earlier, tested an indigenous anti-destroyer missile over a US aircraft carrier for the first time. He portrayed the reported missile test as a demonstration of Iran’s military capabilities and a warning that the US naval blockade could be vulnerable.
“This particular missile created a difficult situation for the Americans and they retreated,” Rezaei said, according to IRIB.
He further stated that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until Washington takes concrete steps to fulfil what Tehran considers its obligations under a memorandum of understanding on peace reached between Iran and the United States in June.
At the same time, Rezaei said Iran and Oman would announce a new international maritime route in the coming days. The proposed route would allow vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz under arrangements agreed between the two countries. He stressed that the route would remain under Iranian control.
The developments come against the backdrop of a sharp escalation in tensions following US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28. Tehran subsequently imposed restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, while US forces introduced a maritime blockade targeting vessels travelling to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most strategically important shipping routes and a major corridor for global energy supplies. Any prolonged disruption to traffic through the waterway could therefore have significant consequences for international shipping and oil markets.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
