Iran to Establish Restricted Zone Beyond Strait of Hormuz

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated as Iran announced plans to establish a restricted zone beyond the Strait of Hormuz within days. The move comes after a weekend escalation, during which the US struck three Iranian oil tankers and Iran attacked American warships.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary, Mohsen Rezaei, said the new zone would begin at the US blockade line and extend into parts of the Gulf. Any ship entering the area will be added to a sanctions list, he warned.

The proposed zone could extend Iranian oversight towards vessels entering the Gulf of Oman, according to an analysis accompanying Rezaei's statement. However, it is unclear what legal or operational mechanism Iran would use to enforce sanctions against vessels entering the zone.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has already fallen sharply, averaging about 10 commodity ships daily over the past 10 days. Brent crude rose above $97 a barrel on Monday, following the US strikes on Iranian oil tankers.