Iran to declare new ‘restricted zone’ outside Strait of Hormuz – official

Tehran will slap sanctions on any vessel entering the area, the National Security Council secretary has said Iran will announce a new “restricted zone” for shipping outside the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days, high-ranking security official Mohsen Rezaei has said.The US resumed strikes on Iranian targets last week, saying they were in response to Tehran hitting commercial ships in the key waterway. The Islamic Republic maintains that no vessel can pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for the shipment of some 20% of global oil, without its permission. Iran retaliated with a missile and drone barrage against US military facilities in the Gulf, while also firing at American warships, including an aircraft carrier.In a televised interview on Sunday, Rezaei, who is the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Tehran plans to place even wider curbs on shipping in the region.The restricted area “will begin from the US Navy’s blockade line and extend into parts of the Persian Gulf,” stretching toward several key ports, he said. “Any vessel entering this new zone will be placed on a sanctions list,” which will have consequences for its insurance and futur...