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GeopoliticsMediumUpdated•Originally published 7 September 2026•Updated 8 September 2026•
2 min read

Iran Plans Restricted Maritime Zone Near Hormuz, Threatens Sanctions on Ships

Key Facts

1Iran plans to announce a restricted maritime zone near Hormuz and says ships entering to transit the strait could be placed on a sanctions list.
2Oil flows through Hormuz averaged 20.9 million barrels a day in the first half of 2025, about 20% of global petroleum-liquids consumption.
3The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimated Hormuz flows at 4900000 barrels a day in quarter 2 of 2026, versus 21600000 barrels a day in quarter 4 of 2025.

A senior Iranian security official said Tehran plans to announce a new restricted maritime zone near the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days. Its precise boundaries and enforcement rules have not yet been published.

Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said the zone would begin at what Tehran describes as the start of the U.S. naval blockade, then extend toward the strait and into parts of the Gulf. He said ships entering it to transit Hormuz would be placed on an Iranian sanctions list, without explaining the measure's practical effect.

Rezaei also said Tehran would soon unveil a new shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz. The coordination process for vessels, transit conditions and the authority responsible for enforcing the restrictions remain undisclosed.

The statement followed a new round of attacks on shipping. U.S. Central Command said it struck 3 Iranian crude carriers on September 5 after Iran's Revolutionary Guards launched missiles toward 2 U.S. warships; this is the official U.S. account of the incident.

The plan matters to energy markets because of the strait's role in trade. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimated that oil flows through Hormuz averaged 20.9 million barrels a day in the first half of 2025, about 20% of global petroleum-liquids consumption. It estimated the combined capacity of Saudi and UAE pipelines able to bypass the strait at about 4.7 million barrels a day, leaving alternatives unable to absorb normal flows in full.

In its August 11 outlook, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimated that oil and liquids flows through Hormuz fell to an average of 4900000 barrels a day in quarter 2 of 2026 from 21600000 barrels a day in quarter 4 of 2025. Any enforceable additional restrictions could increase the risk of supply delays and higher shipping and energy costs, but the scale of the effect will remain unclear until maps and enforcement rules are published and vessel traffic can be observed.