Iran is threatening to declare a prohibited zone in the Gulf and a new shipping lane through Hormuz
Published 6 September 2026
Last updated 9 hours ago
Reading time: 4 minutes
Iran said that it will announce a new restricted zone in the Gulf in the coming days, and maps for a new shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, the maps for ship transit routes in the Strait of Hormuz, which were agreed upon with the Sultanate of Oman, will be signed in the coming days, according to Iranian state television.
According to Rezaei, what Iran described as the prohibited zone “will start from the American naval blockade line along its extension towards the Strait of Hormuz, all the way to the Persian Gulf,” as he put it.
He added: "Any ship that enters this region with the intention of crossing through the Strait of Hormuz and is identified will be placed on our sanctions list."
This announcement comes after a new escalation in mutual attacks between the United States and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, where the United States announced that it targeted three oil tankers - which it said belonged to ships of the "Iranian shadow network" - destroying one and disabling two.
In a related context, US President Donald Trump described Iran as a “country in the process of collapse,” in a photo he posted on his Truth Social platform, in which a map of the country appeared with the same phrase above it.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday that more than nine million barrels of oil cross the Strait daily, adding that alternative supply methods raise the volume of flows to the equivalent of about two-thirds of the levels that were recorded before the outbreak of the current confrontation.
On the other hand, Mohsen Rezaei said that the Strait of Hormuz is “completely closed and under the control of the Iranian armed forces,” while Iran announced the targeting of six ships related to the United States in the region, after it had previously fired missiles at two American ships.
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Iran warned of a "painful response" if the United States attacks again.
On the other hand, Ismail Baghaei, spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a press conference on Monday that his country would respond if the United Nations nuclear authority adopted a resolution against it.
He added that it is "illogical" for European countries to seek a United Nations resolution against Iran, given that the war with the United States has made access to nuclear facilities difficult.
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The Iranian announcement comes at a time when the country is suffering under increasing economic pressure.
Iranian government spokeswoman, Fatima Mohajerani, said in statements reported by official media that the government discussed increasing gasoline prices, which are among the lowest in the world, but postponed the step amid fears of the outbreak of new protests.
Iran witnessed widespread protests in 2019 against the backdrop of raising fuel prices.
Mohajerani said that the increase in gasoline prices will only affect consumers whose consumption exceeds 110 liters per month, adding that the decision comes due to “current circumstances.”
On the other hand, the average price of regular automobile fuel in the United States was $4.14 per gallon, an increase of about one dollar compared to last year, coinciding with the Labor Day holiday in the country.
According to the American Automobile Association, this increase exceeds the record price of regular motor fuel set on Labor Day weekend in 2012 at $3.82 per gallon.
The price of diesel fuel in the United States also hit a new record on Friday at $5.85 per gallon, up about 30 cents from its average just one week ago.
Experts attribute this rise in the price of fuel to the Iran war and its impact on navigation in the vital Strait of Hormuz.
Qatar: The alliance with Washington is important but not sufficient
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari said Monday, at the Haley Forum in Abu Dhabi, that the Gulf states cannot rely solely on the United States and other international alliances to ensure their security, but must strengthen their independence.
He said: "We in the Gulf must realize that the presence of international forces in the region, and the establishment of a strategic alliance with the United States, is extremely important, but not sufficient."
Qatar is a major mediator in efforts to end the US-Iranian war, and has been subjected to intense Iranian attacks, especially targeting its energy infrastructure.
