CAIRO, September 8: Iran has escalated tensions with the United States, warning of what it called “economic warfare” and announcing plans for a new maritime exclusion zone in the Persian Gulf, while highlighting its upgraded missile capabilities amid continuing confrontation around the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran Plans New Maritime Exclusion Zone
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Tehran plans to establish a restricted maritime area extending toward the perimeter of the US blockade.
Iran also plans to release maps of a new shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, although details and the implementation timeline have not yet been announced.
Qassem Basir Missile Highlighted
Iranian officials pointed to the Qassem Basir ballistic missile, which Tehran says has improved manoeuvrability, greater resistance to electronic warfare and enhanced ability to evade missile-defence systems.
Iranian media claimed the missile had recently been fired toward US warships near Hormuz. The US military said its vessels successfully avoided the attacks.
US Rejects Iran’s Control Claims
The White House rejected Iran’s proposed exclusion zone and said the Strait of Hormuz remained open, while US forces continued operations aimed at maintaining commercial shipping routes.
The confrontation follows renewed attacks between the two countries, including US strikes on Iranian oil tankers and Iranian missile launches targeting US naval vessels.
Hormuz Shipping Disruption Raises Oil Concerns
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy routes, with about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passing through it before the current conflict.
Reuters reported that commodity-vessel traffic through the strait has fallen sharply, averaging about 10 vessels per day over the past 10 days, raising fresh concerns over global energy supplies and prices.
The latest warnings suggest that the Gulf maritime dispute could become an even bigger source of geopolitical and energy-market instability if US-Iran hostilities intensify further.
source – Reuters / Associated Press
Supreme News Network
