Iran’s top security official said Tehran will establish a “restricted zone” near the Strait of Hormuz to punish merchant vessels attempting to skirt the Iran-controlled waterway.
Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, head of the Supreme National Security Council, told Iranian state television on Sunday that commercial ships entering the area without first coordinating with Tehran will be placed on a sanctions list.
The announcement came a day after the U.S. struck three Iranian oil tankers near Kharg Island and the Gulf of Oman in response to Tehran launching ballistic missiles at U.S. Navy warships.
Gen. Rezaei told government-controlled Press TV that the Strait of Hormuz is under Iranian control and called President Trump’s claims that the strategic waterway remains open a “big lie.”
“The Americans are trying to smuggle five to six vessels through at great expense, but those ships are usually struck,” he said.
Gen. Rezaei claimed that Iran has chosen not to sink the vessels because of the environmental damage it could cause.
He did not specify the location or size of the new restricted zone. He confirmed that Iran fired anti-ship missiles at U.S. warships on Saturday.
“For the first time, we tested our anti-ship missile above an American warship,” he said. “This special missile created hell for the Americans, and they fled.”
U.S. Central Command said all inbound threats were intercepted or evaded, and no U.S. warships were damaged or hit. The attack prompted the U.S. retaliation that resulted in the strikes on the Iranian oil tankers.
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