Iran to Declare Restricted Zone Outside Hormuz Strait, Warns Mohsen Rezaei

Tehran, September 7 (Daily Kiran) : Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary, Mohsen Rezaei, announced that the country will soon declare a restricted zone outside the Hormuz Strait. In a recent interview with state television IRIB, he warned that any vessel attempting to transit this area would be added to Tehran’s sanctions list.

Rezaei stated that the restricted zone will begin where the U.S. naval blockade starts and will extend to the Hormuz Strait, including parts of the Persian Gulf. He emphasized that ships entering this area without coordination with Iran could face sanctions affecting their insurance coverage and future passage through this critical waterway.

This move is part of a broader strategy to increase pressure on the United States, according to Rezaei. He asserted that the Hormuz Strait is effectively closed, refuting U.S. claims that ships and oil tankers are still navigating through it. While he acknowledged that some vessels attempt to bypass the blockade by using routes near Oman and turn off their navigation systems to avoid detection, he claimed that most of these ships face repercussions.

Despite the tensions, Rezaei mentioned that Iran does not currently intend to sink these vessels, citing potential environmental damage. He also revealed that Iran recently tested an indigenously developed anti-destroyer missile over a U.S. aircraft carrier, indicating that the American naval blockade is vulnerable.

He warned that the Hormuz Strait will remain closed until the U.S. takes concrete steps to fulfill its obligations under a peace memorandum signed with Tehran in June. Rezaei added that a new international maritime route, agreed upon by Iran and Oman, will be announced soon, allowing vessels to pass through the strait under Iranian control.

Following attacks on Iran by the U.S. and Israel on February 28, Tehran imposed restrictions on transit through the Hormuz Strait, while U.S. forces implemented a maritime blockade targeting ships traveling to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas.