Iran expands Strait of Hormuz operational area by ten times

Tehran’s new definition pegs strait width at 200-300 miles, and not 20-30 miles

Agencies

DUBAI 

Iran has expanded its definition of the Strait of Hormuz into a "vast operational area" far wider than before the Iran war, according to a senior officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy. The strait is no longer viewed as a narrow stretch around a handful of islands but instead has been greatly enlarged in scope and military significance, Mohammad Akbarzadeh, deputy political director of the IRGC Navy, said on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, the state-affiliated Fars news agency reported.  

"In the past, the Strait of Hormuz was defined as a limited area around islands such as Hormuz and Hengam, but today this view has changed," Akbarzadeh said. About a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supply normally passes through the strait, which is the gateway to the Gulf and main export route for countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Qatar.  

Akbarzadeh said the strait is now defined as a strategic zone stretching from the city of Jask in the east to Siri Island in the west, describing it as "a vast operational area". The reported expansion is the second announced by Iran since the start of its conflict with the US and Israel.  

On May 4, 2026, the IRGC Navy published a map showing a new zone of control extending along a significant stretch of the UAE's Gulf of Oman coastline. That stretched from Iran's Mount Mobarak and the UAE's emirate of Fujairah in the east to Iran's Qeshm Island and the UAE emirate of Umm al Quwain in the west.  

The announcement on Tuesday appears to represent a widening of that area. Fars and Tasnim, another Iranian news agency, reported on Tuesday that the strait’s width, which they said was previously estimated at 20 to 30 miles, had now increased to between 200 and 300 miles.