Iran Threatens Strait Of Hormuz Access As New Maritime Restrictions Loom

Iran has warned that vessels entering a new restricted maritime zone without prior coordination could face sanctions and lose access to the Strait of Hormuz, ports and related services.

The warning from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) came as tensions between Tehran and Washington continued to escalate over attacks involving commercial and military vessels.

IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said Iran would announce the exact coordinates of the proposed restricted zone later. He said the area would broadly extend from the waters near Chabahar into parts of the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea, including routes leading towards the Strait of Hormuz.

Mohebbi described the strategic waterway as a source of Iranian power and said Tehran would use it in response to what it considers enemy aggression.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry separately condemned a US military operation against Iranian oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

Tehran called for immediate action by the United Nations and the Security Council, arguing that the strikes violated international law and the UN Charter.

The US Central Command said its forces had destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers on Tuesday night.

Washington said the action followed attacks by the IRGC on a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles on two occasions over the previous two days.

The IRGC said it had subsequently targeted four US vessels, including two destroyers, along with eight oil tankers in regional waters. It further claimed an attack on a US air base in Jordan as part of its retaliatory operations.

The exchange has added further pressure on shipping routes around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage for global energy supplies.

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