Iran is preparing to declare, in the coming days, a “forbidden zone” near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most important strategic maritime routes in the world, announced on Sunday the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaï.
“In the coming days, a forbidden zone will be declared in the outer part of the Strait of Hormuz. This will start from the line of the American naval blockade and will include certain sectors of the Gulf,” the official declared on Iranian state television, quoted by AFP and News.ro.
According to this, any ship that enters the new zone will be included on a sanctions list.
The announcement comes after the intensification of attacks between Iran and the United States, especially in the maritime area of the Gulf and near the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran threatened Washington on Sunday with a “more intense” response.
Tensions have escalated in the Strait of Hormuz
In recent days, the two camps have carried out a series of reciprocal attacks in the Gulf region, while maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has significantly decreased.
Iran has blocked the strait, while the United States, in turn, has instituted a maritime blockade on Iranian ports.
According to Washington, Iranian forces initially attacked an aircraft carrier and an American destroyer, which would have “escaped multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks”. The American military responded on Saturday by striking three oil tankers that it claims are linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
The Iranian military force subsequently announced that it had attacked, in retaliation, three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and “three vessels affiliated with America (…) in other areas”.
On Sunday morning, Tehran announced that it had attacked a naval drone that “was trying to penetrate” the Strait of Hormuz.
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