Iran to Declare ‘Restricted Zone’ Near Strait of Hormuz in Coming Days

Iran is preparing to declare a “restricted zone” outside the Strait of Hormuz, adding another layer of danger to a waterway already caught between Iranian and American blockades.

Mohsen Rezaï, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the zone would be announced in the coming days. It would begin at the line of the U.S. Navy’s blockade and extend into parts of the Gulf. Any vessel entering it, he said, would be placed on a sanctions list.

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In the coming days, a restricted zone will be declared outside the Strait of Hormuz. It will begin at the line of the U.S. Navy blockade and include parts of the Gulf.

The announcement followed a new series of attacks and threats, mainly at sea. Maritime traffic in the Gulf remains sharply reduced as Tehran maintains its closure of the Strait of Hormuz and Washington blocks Iranian ports in response.

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A complete lie. No American vessel was attacked today.

Iran said it had targeted a U.S. aircraft carrier and destroyer, while Washington said the ships had escaped multiple unprovoked attacks. The U.S. military then said it struck three tankers linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Iran’s powerful military force later said it had retaliated by targeting three tankers in the strait and three American-affiliated vessels elsewhere.

Early Sunday, Tehran said it had attacked a naval drone trying to enter the strait. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for the U.S. military’s Central Command, called that “a complete lie” and said no American vessel had been attacked that day.

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The Americans must have understood that the era of proportionate retaliation is over.

Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the period of proportionate retaliation had ended. “Any aggression against Iran’s interests and security will receive a faster, more intense and more painful response,” he said. Centcom chief Brad Cooper issued a matching threat, saying that if Iran fired on two U.S. ships, Washington would impose a greater economic price by taking three of theirs.

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Any aggression against Iran’s interests and security will receive a faster, more intense and more painful response.