Iran announces restricted zone near Strait of Hormuz

Iran announced plans to establish a restricted zone outside the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit chokepoint, amid escalating tensions with the United States. The announcement, made on Sunday, September 6, 2026, by Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, signals a potential new phase in the ongoing conflict. Rezaei stated that the new zone, expected to be announced in the coming days and weeks, will begin from the line of the U.S. naval blockade and extend toward the Strait of Hormuz and into the Persian Gulf. Any vessel identified entering this area with the intent to pass through the Strait will be placed on Iran's sanctions list, according to state media. This development follows a period of renewed hostilities. On Saturday, September 5, U.S. Central Command reported striking three Iranian oil tankers in response to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launching ballistic missiles at two U.S. Navy ships. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned on Sunday that any future attack on Iran's interests would receive a "faster, heavier and more painful response," indicating a shift in the rules of engagement.