KATHMANDU: Iran has said it is preparing to declare a new ‘no-control zone’ outside the Strait targeting ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

The new head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, said this on Sunday. According to him, the region will be declared in the next few days or weeks.

According to Rezaei, the prohibited zone would begin at the border of the US naval blockade, extend to the Strait of Hormuz, and then extend to the Persian Gulf.

He warned that any vessel identified or entered the Strait of Hormuz with the intention of crossing the Strait of Hormuz would be placed on Iran’s sanctions list.

However, Iran has not specified where the border in the region will begin. The US blockade is said to be aimed at Iranian ports and preventing Iran from exporting oil.

According to the U.S. military, more than 20 warships are assisting the blockade. As of Sunday, 92 merchant ships had been diverted and three were unable to operate due to the blockade.

The latest announcement comes at a time when tensions between the US and Iran are rising. After the failure of the talks, the US is taking measures to create more economic pressure on Iran.

Meanwhile, Iran has continued to attack some ships trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes, has become a significant strategic pressure point for Iran in the ongoing war.

Iranian state media claimed on Sunday that an unmanned US ship had been attacked as it tried to enter the Strait of Hormuz. However, the US military has denied the claim as completely false.

The latest tension between Iran and the United States has been linked to the war that erupted after the United States and Israel invaded Iran on February 28.