The head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, announced on Sunday that the Islamic Republic will declare a circulation prohibition zone near the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days. In a statement to Iranian state television, Rezaei stated that the prohibited zone will begin at the U.S. Navy's blockade line and will include sectors of the Persian Gulf. Any vessel that enters this new zone will be included on a sanctions list.
The announcement comes hours after Iran's Armed Forces claimed an attack on a United States naval drone. This attack was presented as a response to the bombing of three Iranian oil tankers the previous day.
Mohsen Rezaei is a veteran from the times of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and one of the main figures in Iran's military and security leadership. The announcement represents a deepening of military tensions in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz region, one of the world's most important maritime routes for oil transportation.
