Iran to Declare Exclusion Zone Near Strait of Hormuz After U.S. Tanker Strikes
Iran's security council head said Tehran will announce an exclusion zone around the Strait of Hormuz, following U.S. attacks on three Iranian tankers and a disputed claim of hitting a U.S. unmanned vessel.
Iran announced plans to establish an "exclusion zone" outside the Strait of Hormuz, targeting vessels it deems to be attempting unauthorized transit. Mohsen Rezaei, the new head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told state television the zone would be declared in the coming days and would extend from the line of the U.S. naval blockade toward the strait and into the Persian Gulf.
The move follows a series of exchanges between the two sides. U.S. Central Command reported that its forces struck three Iranian oil tankers, including one near Kharg Island, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at two U.S. Navy ships. Iran's IRGC said it had targeted three tankers it considered to be on unauthorised routes and three U.S.-linked vessels elsewhere.
A spokesperson for U.S. Central Command rejected Iran's claim that it had successfully hit an unmanned U.S. military vessel, calling the assertion "a total lie."