Iran has warned that US oil and gas interests in the Gulf could face retaliation if Washington launches further attacks on Iranian assets, amid renewed clashes between the two countries and rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.
“Strike our assets and you get struck,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said after US and Iranian forces exchanged strikes on shipping over the weekend, pushing oil prices to near six-week highs on Monday.
The warning highlights the risk of further escalation as Tehran and Washington continue to trade attacks, with diplomatic efforts stalled and no clear breakthrough in sight to end the conflict and restore normal energy flows through the Gulf.
Iran has tightened restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and gas supplies, since the conflict began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Senior Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei said on Sunday that Tehran would soon announce a new restricted zone in the Gulf and introduce a new shipping corridor through the strait. He said the proposed zone would begin where the US naval blockade of Iran starts and extend into parts of the Gulf, with vessels entering the area potentially placed on an Iranian sanctions list.
Rezaei said the Strait of Hormuz would only be fully reopened once the United States ended what Tehran describes as sabotage, threats and attacks against Iran.
Qalibaf later reinforced the warning in an apparent response to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who had described Iran’s oil tanker fleet as vulnerable.
“The oil and gas production chain here is sprawling, accessible, and exposed,” Qalibaf wrote on X, warning that American oil and gas companies operating across the region shared that exposure.
US President Donald Trump has said the military campaign against Iran aims to end its nuclear programme, limit its ability to attack neighbouring countries and create conditions for political change in Tehran. However, Iran’s leadership remains in power and has continued to demand sanctions relief.
Tehran has also sought to maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed before the conflict.
The United States and Iran have continued to exchange fire in and around the strategic waterway despite previous ceasefire efforts. Negotiations have stalled as both sides seek leverage over access to the strait.
Shipping through the waterway has fallen sharply since the conflict began, disrupting global energy markets. Iran has required vessels to seek permission before transiting the strait, a measure opposed by Washington and several regional countries.
Tehran has said it does not intend to restore the pre-war system of unrestricted navigation unless its security and other demands are addressed.
