Iran plans restricted zone as Hormuz traffic drops to just 7 ships daily

The International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran has failed to provide information on declared nuclear materials and facilities and is denying inspectors on-site verification, while Tehran dismissed the findings as Western political pressure. Iran plans to establish an exclusion or restricted zone extending from the reported U.S. naval blockade toward the Strait of Hormuz and into the Persian Gulf, warning that vessels entering it could face sanctions or be turned back. Iranian officials said the waterway would remain restricted unless Washington ends what Tehran calls hostile attacks, while Iran and Oman are negotiating a controlled or safe-transit corridor. The United States says it struck three Iranian oil tankers after Iran launched ballistic missiles at U.S. warships; Iran has claimed retaliatory attacks on U.S.-linked vessels, including an unmanned American craft, but the U.S. military denied that claim. The confrontation has disrupted commercial shipping and global energy supplies, with vessels reportedly rerouting, traffic or oil flows remaining well below pre-conflict levels, and rising U.S. gasoline prices adding domestic political pressure.