Rouhollah Rezaipour, a journalist and political analyst, said that by referring to the Islamic Republic’s threat to create a new “no-go” zone in the waters of the region, it remains unclear what the boundaries, coordinates, and rules of this plan are, and he speculated that its aim could be psychological warfare against the United States.

He said it is possible that the Islamic Republic is seeking to raise the cost of escorting and providing security for ships for the U.S. and to increase pressure on Washington.

Rezaipour added that, given the remarks by Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic, about the negotiations, this action may also be an attempt to create a “new card” in negotiations with the United States.