Middle East Tensions Escalate As Iran Plans Restricted Zone Near Strait Of Hormuz

Iranian senior security official Mohsen Rezaee said a restricted zone will be announced in the coming days outside the Strait of Hormuz, extending from the U.S. Navy blockade line to parts of the Persian Gulf, according to ETNet. The escalation came after the U.S. said it struck three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday, one of which sank, in response to Iranian fire on a U.S. aircraft carrier and other warships. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it hit three tankers and three U.S. vessels, and later said it also attacked a U.S. Navy drone and an unmanned surface vessel trying to enter the strait. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday that the U.S. Navy will continue escorting tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the route's importance to transport and suggesting the operation will not end soon.