Iran Signals New ‘Restricted Zone’ Around Strait of Hormuz and Claims Missile Test Near U.S. Ship
Iran’s top security official says Tehran will declare a restricted area outside the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days and weeks, warning that ships entering it to transit the strait could be placed on an Iranian sanctions list, alongside unverified claims of a recent anti‑ship missile test near a U.S. warship.
Iran is preparing to label part of the waters around the Strait of Hormuz as a restricted zone and is pairing that step with combative statements about U.S. naval forces, according to public remarks by a senior security official.
The official said that in the coming days and weeks, Iran will announce a restricted zone outside the Strait of Hormuz that starts from what he described as the U.S. Navy’s blockade line and extends through the strait into the Persian Gulf. Any ship identified entering this zone with the intention of passing through the strait will be added to Iran’s sanctions list, he stated.
He linked this plan to a series of claims about recent encounters with U.S. forces. According to his account, 48 hours earlier Iran tested an Iranian anti‑ship missile above an American warship for the first time. He said this “special missile” created a difficult situation for the Americans and that they left the area. There has been no independent confirmation of such an incident, and his description reflects Iran’s version of events.
The same official accused the United States of trying to “smuggle” five to six vessels through the area at great cost, saying those ships are “usually targeted.” He added that Iran has not yet decided to sink them because they carry petroleum products whose spillage could pollute the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, which would also affect Iran. He nevertheless insisted that none of them pass through safely. These claims likewise cannot be independently verified on the basis of the available information.
He also drew a conditional link between Iranian behavior at Hormuz and U.S. policy, saying Iran will commit to keeping the Strait of Hormuz open when the United States neither threatens Iran nor attacks it. That formulation stops short of an explicit closure threat but ties the safety of navigation in the area to Tehran’s assessment of U.S. actions.
In parallel, the official rejected assertions that U.S. economic sanctions are causing a major famine in Iran. He said it is a “blatant lie” to attribute such a crisis to sanctions and claimed that the government has long been planning for this situation and currently holds enough stocks of food and basic goods.
For shipping operators, insurers, and energy buyers, the practical risk lies in how these statements translate into behavior at sea. The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow passage where a large share of global oil and gas exports must pass. A unilaterally declared restricted zone, coupled with threats to sanction vessels and claims about missile tests near foreign warships, could increase the scope for miscalculation or confrontation.
The next indicators to watch are whether Iran publishes maps or coordinates defining any restricted zone, whether other states respond formally to the move, and whether there are confirmed incidents involving commercial vessels or naval forces that match the pattern described by Iranian officials.
Sources
- OSINT