Iran expands area of control in Strait of Hormuz

TEHRAN, May 12. /TASS/. The Iranian Armed Forces have expanded the Navy’s control zone in the Strait of Hormuz, Deputy Political Director of the Iranian Islamic Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy Mohammad Akbarzadeh said. "In the past, the Strait of Hormuz was defined as a limited area around islands such as Hormuz and Hengam, but today, the view has changed. According to the new concept, the boundaries of the Strait of Hormuz have significantly expanded," the Tasnim news agency quoted him as saying. According to the senior officer, the strait’s width, which used to be estimated at 20 to 30 miles (32-48 km), has increased to between 200 and 300 miles (321-482 km), from the cities of Jask and Sirik to the area beyond the islands of Qeshm and Greater Tunb. On April 13, the US military began implementing a naval blockade of Iran. The US Central Command stated that the goal was to block "all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports." On May 4, the US launched Project Freedom to help vessels pass through the Strait of Hormuz. However, the US president suspended the effort the next day, citing a request from Pakistan and some other countries, to see whether an agreement to resolve the conflict "can be finalized and signed.".