Iran’s top security chief Mohsen Rezaei has announced plans to establish a “prohibited zone” near the strategic Strait of Hormuz within days.
Rezaei told Iranian state television on Sunday that the zone would begin at the US Navy’s blockade line.
It would also cover parts of the Persian Gulf, according to the senior Iranian official.
He warned that Iran would place any vessel entering the new zone on its sanctions list.
Iran Tightens Control Over Hormuz
Rezaei also said Iran and Oman would soon sign an agreement covering a new corridor through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to him, Iranian authorities would control the corridor’s entry and exit points.
Rezaei claimed that Iran had completely closed the strait and that its armed forces controlled the strategic waterway.
He dismissed US President Donald Trump’s statement that Hormuz remained open as a “big lie.”
Before the closure, more than 100 ships carrying over 100 million tonnes of cargo reportedly crossed the waterway daily.
However, Rezaei said only seven or eight vessels carrying essential goods for Iran now use the strait.
Tehran Threatens Stronger Response
The development comes as Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned Washington against launching further attacks.
Ghalibaf said Iran would respond more forcefully after Tehran targeted American warships during the latest clashes.
The exchanges began after US raids last week, amid a six-month conflict between Iran and the United States.
Meanwhile, Washington has maintained a counter-blockade against Iranian ports and expanded sanctions targeting entities with financial links to Tehran.
Ghalibaf said the era of proportionate responses had ended.
He warned that further aggression against Iran’s interests or security would trigger faster, stronger and more painful retaliation.
