Iran said an agreement with Oman on a new shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz would be signed in the coming days as Tehran prepares to tighten controls around the strategic waterway.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said in televised remarks that the agreement covered routes for ships entering and leaving the strait.
Tehran said in August that Iran and Oman had agreed on the coordinates of the route and were finalizing arrangements for managing maritime traffic.
“We will soon declare a restricted zone around the Strait of Hormuz,” Rezaei said.
The zone would begin at what Tehran describes as the line of the U.S. naval blockade, extend through the Strait of Hormuz and cover parts of the Persian Gulf, he said.
Any vessel entering the designated area without authorization would be placed on Iran’s blacklist, Rezaei added.
He said Iran would further tighten its measures in the strait, arguing that they would have a greater impact than missile strikes.
“We will commit to keeping the Strait of Hormuz open if the Americans refrain from attacks and sabotage,” he said.
Rezaei also criticized countries mediating between Iran and the United States, saying they had failed to ensure the implementation of a memorandum of understanding between the two sides.
Iran was continuing to sell oil and receive payments despite the U.S. blockade, he added.
