Tehran, September 2026 : Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that vessels entering a soon-to-be-announced “restricted zone” in regional waters without prior coordination with Tehran will face sanctions and could be denied access to the Strait of Hormuz and other essential maritime services.
IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi, quoted by semi-official Tasnim news agency, said vessels entering the designated zone without coordination would be subject to Iranian measures. He said such vessels could subsequently be barred from using the Strait of Hormuz and denied access to port, insurance and other services required for maritime operations.
Mohebbi said the exact coordinates of the restricted zone would be announced at a later stage. He indicated that the zone would generally begin near Iran’s southeastern port city of Chabahar and extend across parts of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, including maritime routes that can lead towards the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC spokesman described the strategically vital waterway as the “strait of Iran’s power”, signalling Tehran’s intention to use its control and influence over the passage as part of its response to what it described as hostile actions.
He said Iran would use its capabilities to respond to “enemy aggression” and seek to compel the opposing side to halt such actions, according to Xinhua news agency.
The warning came amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States following reported military exchanges in regional waters.
On Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned what it described as an “aggressive” US military attack on several Iranian oil tankers the previous night. In a statement, the ministry alleged that the US attack on Iranian commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman was part of a broader campaign involving military aggression, a naval blockade and economic pressure against Iran.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry further alleged that the action violated the United Nations Charter and international law. It called on the United Nations and the UN Security Council to take immediate measures against what it described as serious violations of international peace and security resulting from US actions against Iran.
The United States, however, offered a different account of the developments. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on social media platform X that US forces had “destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers” on Tuesday night.
According to CENTCOM, the action was carried out in response to what it said were attacks by the IRGC targeting a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles on two occasions over the preceding two days.
The IRGC also issued separate statements early Wednesday claiming that its forces had launched retaliatory strikes against four US vessels, including two destroyers, and eight oil tankers operating in regional waters. It additionally claimed to have targeted a US air base in Jordan.
The competing claims could not be independently verified from the information available.
The latest developments underscore the growing tensions around some of the world’s most strategically important maritime routes. The Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of global energy supplies passes, remains a critical pressure point in any escalation involving Iran and the United States.
Iran’s proposed restricted maritime zone and its warning regarding access to the Strait of Hormuz could add another layer of uncertainty for commercial shipping, insurers and regional ports if the measures are implemented.
