Official Tehran has announced the establishment of a "new restricted zone" in the Persian Gulf and the design of a new shipping corridor in the Strait of Hormuz, while the resumption of military attacks between Iran and the US has pushed the price of oil above $97 per barrel.

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, stated that the new security zone will extend from the border of the US naval blockade and that any ship that violates this space will be included in the sanctions list. Rezaei confirmed that the maps of the new maritime corridor in the waters of Iran and Oman have been agreed upon and are expected to be signed soon, while underlining that the Strait of Hormuz will be open only if the US stops sabotage, threats and military strikes.

Six months after the outbreak of military conflict and the failure of a ceasefire, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, warned Washington that the rules of the game have changed and that any new attack will receive a faster, heavier and more painful response. Meanwhile, Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said that the main export terminal on Kharg Island has been hit about 550 times in recent months, but continues to remain functional in the face of the blockade.

For its part, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it has stopped, diverted or searched dozens of commercial vessels to enforce the blockade on Iranian oil exports. Although the US Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, claimed that the US Navy is keeping about two-thirds of the oil flow open, the drop in transit to just 10 ships per day has shaken international markets, fueling the rise in energy prices.