Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei stated that Tehran intends to designate a new restricted shipping zone in the Persian Gulf, though details regarding the specific geographic boundaries and enforcement mechanisms of this declared area remain unverified.

This announcement follows recent escalations, including US airstrikes and Iranian missile attacks, amid conflicting claims from both governments regarding the current operational status of the Strait of Hormuz.

Yemen’s Houthi movement accused Saudi Arabia of conducting airstrikes and missile attacks on multiple provinces, claims corroborated by unnamed government military sources but not officially acknowledged by Riyadh. These reported strikes coincide with intense fighting near the Red Sea coast that has resulted in over 300 casualties and widespread displacement, as Houthi forces advance toward the Bab al-Mandab strait.

Iranian state television has broadcast footage it said showed ballistic missile attacks on a US aircraft carrier and destroyer, as Iran and the United States exchanged strikes on military and oil-related targets in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the two US warships were targeted with Iranian-made Qasem Basir ballistic missiles, alleging that the vessels had participated in a naval blockade of Iranian shipping.

The IRGC claimed the missiles damaged both vessels and forced them to withdraw from the area. The footage broadcast by Iranian state media was presented as documenting the attacks, but the claims of direct hits and damage could not be independently verified.

The Iranian military described the strikes as retaliation for US attacks on three Iranian oil tankers. The US military said on Saturday that it had targeted three tankers linked to the Revolutionary Guard, permanently disabling two and destroying a third.

It described the vessels as part of a network generating funds for the IRGC and Iran-aligned groups in the region. READ: Iran shifting military doctrine toward preemptive attack: Army spokesman According to the US military, one tanker was targeted off Kharg Island, the site of Iran’s largest oil export terminal, another near the Strait of Hormuz, and the third in the Gulf of Oman.

The Revolutionary Guard confirmed that three Iranian tankers had been attacked and subsequently announced retaliatory operations against US naval assets. In a separate statement on Sunday, the IRGC said its naval forces had targeted a US unmanned surface vessel that it claimed was attempting to enter a restricted area of the Strait of Hormuz.

The outcome of that attack was not independently confirmed. Iranian authorities also said their forces had targeted three oil tankers that were allegedly transiting the strait without authorization, as well as several US warships in other locations.

The exchanges come amid heightened military tensions between Washington and Tehran and stalled diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. The United States has also intensified economic pressure on Iran through sanctions and restrictions targeting Iranian oil revenues and entities linked to the Revolutionary Guard.

Iranian officials announced plans to designate a new restricted zone in the Gulf and establish a shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, which state media reported would be signed in the coming days. These statements were made by Mohsen Rezaei against the backdrop of recent strikes on shipping vessels, which contributed to higher oil prices, and a preliminary ceasefire agreement that has reportedly unraveled.