Iran to Announce 'Restricted Zone' Near Strait of Hormuz Following U.S. Tanker Strikes

Iran will declare a new "restricted maritime zone" outside the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days, threatening to sanction any vessel that enters the area without coordinating with Tehran. Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, announced the measure on September 6, 2026, during an interview with state-run IRIB TV. The proposed zone will extend from the boundary of the ongoing U.S. naval blockade into the Persian Gulf, effectively expanding the contested area in a waterway that historically carried 20% of the world's oil.[1][6]

The announcement follows a severe escalation in the intermittent conflict that began on February 28, 2026. Over the weekend, U.S. forces struck three Iranian oil tankers in direct retaliation for what U.S. Central Command described as Iranian ballistic missile launches targeting American warships. The exchange shattered a brief period of relative calm and prompted Iranian officials to warn that the era of proportionate responses had ended.[4][5]

Washington currently maintains a naval blockade aimed at Iranian ports, supported by more than 20 U.S. warships. According to U.S. military figures released over the weekend, the blockade has redirected 92 commercial vessels and disabled three in an effort to enforce compliance and restrict Tehran's oil exports. Rezaei stated that the new Iranian exclusion zone is designed to begin exactly where the U.S. blockade line ends, creating a dual-layered chokepoint for international shipping.[4][6]

During his televised address, Rezaei dismissed assertions by the U.S. administration that the strategic waterway remains open to global commerce. "The claim that the US economic blockade is causing a major famine in Iran is a big lie," Rezaei said, adding that the strait itself is "completely closed and under the control of the armed forces." He claimed that before the conflict, over 100 ships carrying 100 million tons of cargo transited daily, whereas now only seven or eight vessels carrying essential goods for Iran are permitted through.[6]

In a further challenge to the U.S. naval presence, the Iranian security chief claimed that Tehran had successfully test-fired a domestically developed anti-ship missile directly over a U.S. aircraft carrier 48 hours prior to his announcement. "This special missile created hell for the Americans, and they fled," Rezaei stated, though U.S. Central Command has not publicly confirmed the incident and dismissed a separate Iranian claim of striking an unmanned U.S. vessel as a "total lie."[4][6]

Despite the aggressive posture, Iranian forces have reportedly refrained from sinking the American-escorted vessels attempting to breach the closure. Rezaei noted that the U.S. is attempting to move five to six vessels through the strait at great expense, and while these ships are frequently targeted, Tehran has decided against sinking them because they are carrying oil, which would cause catastrophic environmental damage to the region.[6]

To manage the remaining traffic, Iran and Oman are expected to sign an agreement in the coming days establishing a new international transit corridor through the strait. Rezaei emphasized that the entry and exit points of this new route would remain strictly under Iranian management. Any ship attempting to bypass this corridor will face sanctions that could void their maritime insurance coverage and permanently bar them from the waterway.[1][6]

The maritime standoff is the direct result of a collapsed diplomatic effort. A peace memorandum of understanding signed between Washington and Tehran in mid-June 2026 fell apart within days, with both sides accusing the other of immediate violations. The U.S. subsequently intensified its economic pressure campaign, targeting institutions that handle Iranian funds, while Tehran resumed its harassment of commercial shipping.[4][5]

Rezaei conditioned any future reopening of the Strait of Hormuz on a shift in Washington's military posture, demanding that the U.S. take practical steps to fulfill its obligations under the June agreement. "Iran will commit to keeping the Strait of Hormuz open when the US neither threatens nor attacks Iran," he said. Until those guarantees are met, the dual blockades threaten to permanently alter the security architecture of the world's most critical energy corridor.[6]