Tehran Blacklists International Vessels as Parliament Speaker Warns Game Rules Have Changed

Iran has warned Donald Trump that any further attack on its interests will trigger a harsher response, as Tehran expands its blacklist of international vessels and prepares to impose a new restricted zone around the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf delivered the starkest warning, saying the 'rules of the game have changed' and that attacks on Iran would receive a 'faster, heavier and more painful response'. He also warned that US energy interests in the region are exposed.

The message came as the latest escalation pushed commercial shipping deeper into the US-Iran confrontation, with oil prices surging and traffic through the world's most important energy chokepoint falling sharply.

Iran Warns Trump Over Further Attacks

Qalibaf's warning followed a new exchange of attacks involving Iranian forces, US forces, and commercial vessels.

US Central Command said American forces had struck three Iranian oil tankers after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked US warships in the region. The latest confrontation has added further pressure to an already fragile shipping environment.

Qalibaf's comments are particularly significant because they extend Tehran's warning beyond military targets. He said the region's US-linked oil and gas infrastructure is vulnerable, raising the stakes around an energy network that stretches across the Gulf.

Iran Blacklists 56 Vessels

Iran has also tightened its restrictions on international shipping. The Persian Gulf Strait Authority has added 11 vessels to its non-compliant list, taking the total to 56 ships. The vessels include crude-oil tankers, LNG and LPG carriers, and clean-product vessels.

Iran says vessels on the list can face penalties, including fines, detention, or cargo confiscation, if they attempt to transit the Strait in violation of its rules. Ships conducting activities such as ship-to-ship transfers with listed vessels can also face sanctions.

Some of the blacklisted vessels have links to major regional shipping companies, including UAE-based ADNOC and Saudi Arabia's Bahri. That does not mean those companies themselves have been blacklisted, an important distinction when describing Tehran's list.

A New Restricted Zone Near Hormuz

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Tehran will announce a new restricted maritime zone outside the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days.

According to Rezaei, the proposed area would extend from the line where the US naval blockade begins into parts of the Gulf. He said any vessel entering the zone would be placed on Iran's sanctions list.

The exact boundaries and enforcement arrangements have not yet been fully detailed, so the announcement should not be treated as evidence that Iran has already imposed a fully operational new exclusion zone.

Hormuz Shipping Falls Sharply

The consequences are already visible. Commodity-vessel traffic through Hormuz has fallen to an average of about 10 ships a day, the lowest level since May, according to shipping data cited by Reuters.

That matters globally because the Strait handled roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments before the conflict. Every additional restriction, therefore, carries consequences far beyond the Gulf.

Oil Moves Towards $100

Energy markets are already reacting. Brent crude climbed as high as $97.17 a barrel on Monday, while US West Texas Intermediate reached $92.27, as the latest attacks and shipping disruption fuelled fears over regional supplies.

Iran's own oil infrastructure is also central to the confrontation. Kharg Island, the country's main crude-export hub, has been repeatedly targeted during the war, making the security of both Iranian exports and the Strait increasingly intertwined.

Iran and Oman Discuss a New Route

Tehran is also pursuing another approach to managing shipping during the crisis. Rezaei said Iran and Oman were preparing an agreement covering a new corridor through the Strait. Iranian officials say the arrangement is intended to provide a route for international shipping, but the precise operational and management details are still being developed.

Meanwhile, Washington maintains that energy is still moving through the Strait of Hormuz despite the disruption. The competing claims underline what has changed: the Strait is no longer simply a shipping route caught in a war. It has become a central pressure point in the confrontation between Tehran and Washington.

Iran has expanded its vessel blacklist to 56 ships, threatened a new restricted zone, and warned of a 'faster, heavier and more painful response'. With oil approaching $100 a barrel and commercial traffic falling sharply, the next move around Hormuz could have consequences far beyond the battlefield.