Iran says will declare 'prohibited zone' near Hormuz Strait in coming days

Iran's top security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, has announced that a prohibited zone will be established near the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the coming days. According to Gulf News, this zone will start from the US Navy's blockade line and include areas of the Persian Gulf. Any ship entering this zone will be placed on Iran's sanctions list, Rezaei told state TV.

The announcement comes amid escalating tensions in the region. Global News reports that Iran claimed to have struck an unmanned US vessel trying to enter the Strait of Hormuz, a claim dismissed by the US military as a "total lie". This incident followed a US military strike on three Iranian oil tankers in response to Navy warships being targeted with ballistic missiles.

The Strait of Hormuz has been a focal point of conflict, with both sides trying to inflict military and economic pain. According to Global News, at least five people were killed in a US bombardment earlier in the week, and the Trump administration has adopted a dual-prong approach to the conflict, responding militarily to attacks on the strait while targeting foreign financial institutions that handle Iranian transactions.

Brief written by urgent.news from Gulf News, The Times of Israel, PBS NewsHour, Global News — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.