Iran will establish a new restricted maritime zone outside the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days, its top national security official said Sunday, warning that vessels entering the area will face sanctions.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said in a televised interview that the zone will start from the US Navy’s blockade line and extend into parts of the Gulf, according to Iranian state run Press TV.
“Any vessel entering this new zone will be placed on a sanctions list,” Rezaei said.
He also said Iran and Oman will sign an agreement in the coming days covering a new corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran controlling its entry and exit points.
Rezaei said Iran’s armed forces have completely closed and controlled the strait, rejecting US President Donald Trump’s claim that the waterway remains open.
He said more than 100 ships carrying over 100 million tons of cargo previously passed through the strait each day. Rezaei claimed only seven or eight vessels carrying essential goods for Iran now transit the waterway.
He also alleged that US efforts to move five or six vessels through the area had resulted in some ships being struck, although he provided no details.
Rezaei said Iran decided not to sink the vessels because they carried oil and their destruction could harm the regional environment.
He separately claimed that Iran tested a new anti ship missile over a US Navy vessel 48 hours before his interview.
“For the first time, we tested our anti-ship missile above an American warship,” Rezaei said.
“This special missile created hell for the Americans, and they fled,” he added, without identifying the vessel or giving details about where the alleged test occurred.
Rezaei also rejected claims that a US economic blockade had caused widespread famine in Iran.
“The claim that the US economic blockade is causing a major famine in Iran is a big lie,” he told Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.
He said the Iranian government had prepared for the situation and maintained sufficient stocks of food and essential goods.
Regional tensions have intensified since US and Israeli attacks on Iran began on Feb. 28. Tehran responded with missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US interests across the region.
Iran and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding in June, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar, outlining steps toward ending hostilities, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and addressing economic restrictions.
Both sides have since accused each other of failing to fulfill commitments under the memorandum, while military tensions have continued alongside disputes over sanctions and navigation through the strategic waterway.
Photo courtesy of Reuters
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