Iran announced that it had attacked more than a dozen ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on September 9, and announced the expansion of the no-go zone outside the strategic waterway that it has blockaded for months, AFP reported.
New attacks and clashes with the US pushed oil prices above the 100 USD/barrel mark, amid Tehran's squeezing of the strait and Washington's tightening of the backward blockade of Iranian seaports. Brent oil closed the session at 101.21 USD.
According to Iranian state media, the Revolutionary Guard Corps said it attacked 2 US ships, 8 oil tankers and 10 "disobeying ships" trying to pass through the vital route of oil and gas trade.
The UK Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) announced that "some" ships in the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf region "have suffered neutralizing fire, within the framework of military operations taking place in the area".
The Gulf of Oman is located in the Indian Ocean of the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy route that usually transports about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas.
For the first time, the Revolutionary Guards added a part of the Gulf of Oman and the Arab Sea to the new "forbidden zone", stating that the exact coordinates will be announced later.
If a ship enters that area without prior coordination, it will be subject to our sanctions," Revolutionary Guard spokesman Hossein Mohebi said on state television.
Iran has affirmed control of the Hormuz Strait since attacks by the US and Israel sparked the war in February, causing traffic through this route to be almost paralyzed. Tehran requires ships to obtain permission and pay transit fees before using the strait.
