Iran Establishes Exclusion Zone Near Strategic Waterway Amid Escalating Tensions
The conflict in West Asia has escalated as Iran plans to establish an 'exclusion zone' near the Strait of Hormuz, where one-fifth of global oil supplies pass through. This move comes after the US military targeted three Iranian oil tankers and Iran claimed it launched ballistic missiles at two US Navy warships.
Tehran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei announced that a new restricted area would be established outside the Strait, starting from the line of the US naval blockade and extending into the Persian Gulf. Any ship entering this zone will be placed on the sanctions list, Rezaei warned.
The move has added to tensions in the region as Iran repeatedly warns about unchecked movement of commercial vessels in the Strait, which is one of the world's most important energy corridors. The US aims to continue its naval blockade in the Strait and thwart IRGC presence and Iranian vessels in the waterway.