Iran’s Supreme National Security Council announced plans to establish a restricted zone outside the Strait of Hormuz, placing uncoordinated transiting vessels on a sanctions list. Security chief Mohsen Rezaei detailed the move on September 7, 2026, as tit-for-tat military strikes resumed following the collapse of a preliminary June ceasefire.
Six months after initial US-Israeli strikes on Iran initiated the war, tensions in the Persian Gulf have escalated sharply. Tehran announced that it will institute a restricted zone extending from the maritime boundary of the US naval blockade across the Strait of Hormuz and into the Persian Gulf according to state-run IRIB TV.
Security Chief Mohsen Rezaei Details New Restricted Maritime Zone
Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei stated that any vessel attempting to cross the newly designated area without explicit coordination with Tehran will be placed on a sanctions list. These measures are designed to target commercial vessels’ insurance coverage and restrict future passage through the strategic global oil transit chokepoint.
Rezaei asserted that the waterway remains entirely closed, dismissing United States assertions that oil tankers and commercial ships are successfully crossing as false. While acknowledging that some operators attempt to navigate past the strait near Oman with navigation systems disabled to avoid detection, Rezaei warned that those ships receive blows while emphasizing that Iran is currently avoiding sinking them due to environmental protection concerns.
“the line where the US naval blockade begins to the Strait of Hormuz region and inside the Persian Gulf on the other side (of the strait).”
Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council
Rezaei further framed the move as part of a broader strategic shift in Iran’s approach to war and diplomacy, aiming at increasing pressure on Washington, reports Xinhua news agency.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf Warns of Painful Retaliation
The announcement of maritime restrictions follows renewed kinetic exchanges in the region. Following a quieter period throughout August, active fighting resumed after US Central Command reported striking three Iranian tankers on September 5, following ballistic missile launches by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeting two US Navy vessels.
In response to the escalating engagements, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf delivered a public warning in a speech published on his Telegram channel, stating that Washington must recognize that the rules of the game have changed before it is too late.
“From now on, any attack against Iran’s interests and security will receive a faster, heavier and more painful response”
Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Iran’s Parliament Speaker
Market participants appear to interpret this move as a sign of heightened tensions, which could impact the likelihood of a U.S.-Iran agreement to restore normal traffic through the waterway by the September 15 deadline. Current odds for an agreement by September 15 remain low, with a 2.8% YES probability, reflecting market concerns over escalating restrictions.
Economic Pressures and Oil Market Impacts at Kharg Island
Beyond military confrontations, Iranian leadership addressed domestic economic strains driven by foreign trade barriers, with Iran saying it will step up efforts to tackle problems created by US sanctions that are crippling its economy, while a senior Iranian official warned of a painful response
if it comes under further attack. Iran exported 90 per cent of its crude via its Kharg Island export hub before the war as the third-largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.
