Tehran, September 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that vessels entering a “restricted zone” to be designated in regional waters without prior coordination with Tehran will face sanctions and could be barred from using the Strait of Hormuz in the future.
IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi said vessels entering the zone without coordination would also be denied access to port, insurance and other essential services, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
He said Iran would announce the exact coordinates of the restricted zone later. The area is expected to generally begin near the southeastern Iranian port city of Chabahar and cover parts of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, including routes leading towards the Strait of Hormuz.
Mohebbi described the Strait of Hormuz as the “strait of Iran’s power”, saying Tehran would use that leverage in response to what it called enemy aggression.
The announcement came as Iran’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned a US military attack on Iranian oil tankers, describing the action as a continuation of what it called Washington’s military aggression, naval blockade and economic warfare against Iran.
In a statement, the ministry said the reported attacks on Iranian commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman violated the UN Charter and international law. It called on the United Nations and the Security Council to take immediate action over what it described as violations of international peace and security.
The US Central Command, meanwhile, said its forces had destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers on Tuesday night. It said the action followed Iranian attacks targeting a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles on two occasions over the previous two days.
The IRGC separately claimed on Wednesday that its forces had targeted four US vessels, including two destroyers, as well as eight oil tankers in regional waters. It also said a US air base in Jordan had been targeted in retaliatory strikes.
The latest developments have further escalated tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping and energy route.
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