Iran Plans New Restricted Zone in Gulf
Iran has announced plans to establish a new restricted maritime zone in the Gulf and introduce new shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, escalating pressure on commercial shipping amid renewed military confrontation with the United States.
Iran Plans New Restricted Gulf Zone
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the restricted zone would begin where Tehran says the US blockade of Iran starts and extend into parts of the Gulf.
Iran has provided few details about the proposed boundaries. Rezaei said vessels entering the restricted zone would be placed on an Iranian sanctions list, although it remains unclear how Tehran intends to enforce the measure against international shipping.
New Strait of Hormuz Shipping Corridor Planned
Rezaei also said Iran and Oman had agreed on maps for a new international shipping corridor passing through their waters, with final approval expected in the coming days.
He said Iran would have a management role in the corridor and linked unrestricted access through the Strait of Hormuz to an end to US military actions and threats against Iran.
The Strait is one of the world’s most important energy routes, carrying roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies before the current conflict disrupted traffic.
US-Iran Maritime Clashes Push Oil Higher
The announcement follows renewed exchanges between US and Iranian forces. American forces struck three Iranian oil tankers after attacks by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on US warships in the region.
Shipping through Hormuz has fallen sharply, with an average of about 10 commodity vessels passing through each day over the previous 10 days, the lowest level since May.
The renewed tensions have also pushed energy prices higher, with Brent crude trading above $97 a barrel as markets assess the risk of further disruption to Gulf oil exports.
