US redirects 94 vessels as Iran warns of maritime exclusion zone in Gulf

Washington, DC: US Central Command forces operating in the Arabian Sea on Monday (local time) redirected nearly 100 commercial vessels and boarded multiple ships, stepping up the maritime blockade against Iran amid fresh threats of a "recalibrated" military posture from Tehran.

In a post on X, the US CENTCOM detailed the operational metrics of its naval blockade enforcement, accompanied by images of night carrier strike group sorties.

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"An E/A-18G aircraft launches from the flight deck of USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) during night flight operations while the ship supports enforcement of the U.S. blockade against Iran in the Arabian Sea," CENTCOM posted. "As of Sept. 7, CENTCOM forces have redirected 94 commercial vessels, disabled 3 and boarded 2 to ensure complete compliance with the blockade."

Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei warned Washington that Tehran has "fundamentally recalibrated" its military operational posture toward US warships and bases, threatening to establish a maritime exclusion zone across the Persian Gulf in response to American economic sanctions.

In a post on X, Rezaei stated that recent Iranian missile tests served as a direct warning to the United States.

"In recent days, Washington has received a clear warning from Iran's new missiles," Rezaei posted. "Economic warfare will be met by a maritime exclusion zone across the Persian Gulf to the blockade perimeter. The operational posture toward U.S. warships and bases has been fundamentally recalibrated."

Earlier in the day, Rezaei said Tehran will keep the Strait of Hormuz open if the United States stops threatening or attacking Iran.

In an interview with Iranian state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) on Sunday, Rezaei said Iran's position on the strategic waterway was directly linked to Washington's military posture towards Tehran.

"Iran will commit to keeping the Strait of Hormuz open when the US neither threatens nor attacks Iran," Rezaei told IRIB.

Rezaei also stated that Iran plans for a new restricted maritime area outside the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days, potentially extending restrictions into parts of the Persian Gulf.

"This area starts from the US naval blockade line to include areas of the Persian Gulf," he said.

The Iranian security chief warned that ships entering the newly designated zone would face sanctions.

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"Any ship entering this new area will be placed on the sanctions list," Rezaei said.

Earlier on Saturday (local time), Iranian retaliation against the United States continued as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force claimed that it fired several ballistic missiles at a US aircraft carrier and a destroyer, alleging that the two warships were harassing Iranian ships and participating in a naval blockade against the Islamic Republic.

In a statement, carried by Iranian state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the IRGC said the two US Navy vessels were targeted amid the continued hostile actions against Iranian shipping.

"The Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, attacked with several ballistic missiles the aircraft carrier and a destroyer of the child-killing American army that were harassing Iranian ships and participating in the naval blockade," the statement read, as carried by IRIB.

The IRGC further claimed that both warships were forced to leave the conflict area after sustaining damage and fearing another attack.

This follows the US Central Command's (CENTCOM) announcement that its forces had struck three Iranian crude oil carriers on September 5, following what it described as Iranian ballistic missile attacks against two US Navy warships patrolling regional waters.

According to CENTCOM, a US aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer successfully evaded multiple "unprovoked Iranian attacks", and no American personnel were harmed.

The developments come amid heightened tensions over the status of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important waterway for global energy trade amid the West Asia conflict.