Iran plans maritime exclusion zone following US strikes on oil tankers

Tehran has announced plans to establish a formal maritime exclusion zone stretching from the perimeter of the US naval blockade through the Strait of Hormuz and into the Persian Gulf. Mr Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said any vessel entering the designated area with intent to transit the waterway would be identified and placed on an Iranian sanctions list. The decision follows US Central Command precision strikes that disabled or destroyed three Iranian National Tanker Company (NITC) crude carriers in retaliation for IRGC ballistic missile attacks directed at US warships. With daily ship transits through Hormuz dropping to multi-month lows (~10 commodity vessels per day) and naval escort requirements rising, commodity analysts warn the heightened confrontation between US naval blockade forces and Iranian coastal defence assets risks driving Brent crude prices toward $120 a barrel, according to a report.

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