Iran Signals New Restricted Maritime Zone Near Hormuz Amid Escalating US-Iran Clashes and Fresh Strikes on Saudi Oil Infrastructure

As tensions between the US and Iran intensify in the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran has announced plans to establish a new 'restricted zone' in the Gulf, according to senior Iranian officials. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, stated on state media that the zone—set to be detailed in coming days—would begin at the US naval blockade line and extend into areas of the Persian Gulf, with unauthorized vessels potentially added to Iranian sanctions lists. Iran and Oman are also finalizing maps for a new managed shipping corridor through the strait.

The move comes amid reports of US strikes on Iranian oil tankers and Iranian warnings of faster, more intense responses to aggression. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf threatened US energy firms, stating that striking Iranian assets would invite retaliation on exposed American oil and gas infrastructure.

Separately, Saudi Aramco’s Jizan facilities—home to a major 400,000 bpd refinery near the Yemeni border—were hit again on Monday in what sources described as an attack similar in scale to a prior incident roughly a month earlier. Damage assessments are ongoing; the site has faced repeated Houthi threats amid the broader conflict. Oil prices have responded, with Brent crude climbing above $97 per barrel, its highest levels since late July.

The UAE has signaled efforts to develop alternative export routes to avoid being 'held hostage' by the disruptions. These developments underscore risks to global energy flows through the critical chokepoint, which normally handles about one-fifth of world oil trade.