Iran to declare restricted maritime zone beyond Hormuz

Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei announced on Sunday that Tehran will declare a new "restricted" maritime zone extending from the US Navy's blockade line into parts of the Gulf beyond the Strait of Hormuz. "Any vessel entering this new zone will be placed on a sanctions list," he said in a televised interview, according to Iranian state-run Press TV. Rezaei also stated that Iran and Oman would sign an agreement in the coming days regarding a new corridor through Hormuz with its entry and exit points under Iranian control.

The top security official said the Strait of Hormuz was "completely closed and under the control of the armed forces," dismissing US President Donald Trump's assertion that the strategic waterway remained open as a "big lie." Before Iran closed the strait, more than 100 ships carrying over 100 million tons of cargo passed through it daily, he noted, adding that only seven or eight vessels carrying essential goods for Iran now transit the waterway. The Americans are attempting to smuggle five to six ships through at great expense, but these vessels are usually struck, he said, noting that Tehran had decided against sinking them because they carry oil and doing so would damage the region's environment.

Missile test claim

Rezaei claimed that Iran had successfully tested a new anti-ship missile above a US Navy vessel 48 hours earlier. "For the first time, we tested our anti-ship missile above an American warship," he said, adding that "This special missile created hell for the Americans, and they fled," without identifying the vessel or specifying where the test occurred.

Blockade and diplomatic context

The secretary separately rejected claims that the US economic blockade was causing widespread famine inside the Islamic Republic. "The claim that the US economic blockade is causing a major famine in Iran is a big lie," Rezaei told Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, adding that "The Iranian government has been preparing for this for a long time and has sufficient stocks of food and essential goods."

Regional tensions have escalated since US-Israeli attacks on Iran began on Feb. 28, prompting Tehran to respond with missile and drone strikes against Israel and US interests across the region. Iran and the US signed a memorandum of understanding in June mediated by Pakistan and Qatar outlining steps toward ending hostilities, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and addressing economic restrictions, though the two sides have since accused each other of failing to implement commitments under the agreement.