Iran plans to introduce a restricted maritime zone in the immediate vicinity of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, it reported today, September 7, 2026, international press. The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, announced that the new measures would come into effect within days. The decision comes at a time of peak tension between Tehran and Washington after six months of sporadic military clashes in the region.
The new “exclusion zone“ will start directly from the naval blockade line imposed by the US Navy and will extend into parts of the Persian Gulf. According to Iranian authorities, any commercial or military ship that enters these waters without prior coordination with Tehran will be automatically included on the Islamic Republic's national sanctions list.
Control of shipping and oil routes
The Strait of Hormuz is the most important artery for global oil supplies. Rezaei told state-run Press TV that the strait is currently "completely closed and controlled by the Iranian armed forces." He called US President Donald Trump's claims that the route remains open for free passage a "big lie."
Before the escalation, more than 100 ships passed through the strait daily, while traffic has now shrunk to fewer than 10 vessels per day, mostly carrying essential goods for Iran. Tehran added that Iranian forces are attacking US ships trying to smuggle oil, but are deliberately avoiding sinking them, in order to to avoid causing an environmental disaster.
Military escalation and failed truce
Tensions in the Middle East have escalated sharply since the ceasefire brokered by Pakistan and Qatar in June collapsed. Just 48 hours ago, the US attacked three oil tankers linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In response, Rezaei announced that Iran had successfully tested a new anti-ship missile in close airspace over a US destroyer, forcing it to withdraw.
In parallel, Iran and Oman are preparing to sign a bilateral agreement for a new international shipping corridor through the strait, the entry and exit points of which will be entirely under Tehran's management.