Iran Plans to Establish an Exclusion Zone Near the Strait of Hormuz

Iran says it will create a new exclusion zone near the Strait of Hormuz, adding another layer of tension around a waterway where shipping has almost come to a standstill. Mohsen Resaei, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said on state television that the zone would be announced in the coming days.

Resaei said the zone would begin at the U.S. Navy’s blockade line and cover parts of the Persian Gulf. “Any ship that enters this new zone will be placed on a sanctions list,” he said.

The Strait of Hormuz has become a central theater in the Iran war, which the article says has lasted more than six months. Tehran has largely blocked the waterway, a crucial route for global trade, while the United States has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Oil prices rose worldwide as the confrontation intensified.

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An exclusion zone outside the Strait of Hormuz will be announced

Shipping has dropped to its lowest level since May following reciprocal U.S. and Iranian attacks on tankers. Kpler data showed an average of only 10 cargo ships a day crossed the strait over the past 10 days. Two ships passed on Saturday and six on Sunday. LSEG data showed that a Saudi tanker turned back while trying to leave the strait, while Kpler reported that no supertanker had left since Wednesday.

The blockade has also complicated Iran’s oil imports. Tehran announced higher fuel prices for large consumers, with government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohadscherani saying the third tier of the quota system would double to 10,000 toman, or 3.9 U.S. cents, from Sept. 8. The first two tiers will remain unchanged. Because fuel is relatively cheap under Iran’s subsidy system, price changes carry particular political sensitivity.

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Any ship that enters this new zone will be placed on a sanctions list.