TEHRAN — Iran signaled a major escalation in its maritime confrontations on Sunday, with senior officials announcing plans for a new restricted zone in the waters surrounding the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and declaring that the country’s approach to foreign provocations had fundamentally shifted.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told state media that Tehran would establish a “restricted prohibited zone” beginning just outside the Strait of Hormuz, extending from what he described as the U.S. Navy’s blockade line and reaching across the Persian Gulf. The announcement came just weeks after President Donald Trump ordered major military operations against Iran in late February, triggering massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iranian military, government and infrastructure targets.
“We’re making changes,” Rezaei said. “In the coming days and weeks, we’re going to announce a restricted prohibited zone outside the Strait of Hormuz.” He warned that any vessel entering the zone “with the intention of crossing the Strait of Hormuz” would face sanctions.
The restrictions represent a significant hardening of Iran’s stance, coming amid ongoing military exchanges between Washington and Tehran, with the narrow waterway serving as the primary flashpoint in the conflict. On Saturday, Iran’s IRGC navy announced it had targeted three oil tankers sailing through “unauthorized routes” in the strait, along with three vessels affiliated with the United States in other areas.
In a parallel declaration posted to Telegram on Sunday, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator and speaker of parliament, said the era of “proportionate responses” had ended. Recent Iranian strikes against U.S. bases in the Middle East were “only the beginning,” Ghalibaf stated, warning that “from now on, any transgression against the interests and security of Iran will receive a faster, heavier and more painful response.”
The warnings come despite negotiations that began in June between the United States and Iran, aimed at reaching a war-ending deal based on a memorandum of understanding signed by both countries. However, diplomatic progress has stalled as both sides continue to exchange military strikes.
Trump, who announced the initial operations in late February, said in August that the United States would launch a “crushing economic operation” to force Tehran into submission. The IRGC navy’s recent actions against shipping in the Persian Gulf have heightened concerns about the security of one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.
Historic flashpoint for decades. One wrong move and we’re looking at a regional war, not just sanctions.
Diplomacy was working until both sides decided to play chicken with military strikes. Who blinks first?
Finally some backbone from Tehran. Years of ‘proportionate responses’ got us nowhere against sanctions.
Iran seems to be testing how far it can push before the US responds. What’s Trump’s endgame here?
This is alarming. The Strait of Hormuz handles 20% of global oil—any closure spikes prices worldwide.