Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that U.S. energy companies operating in the region could become targets of Iranian strikes. Ghalibaf said the oil and gas production chain in the Strait of Hormuz is "sprawling, accessible, and exposed," adding that any attack on Iranian assets would be met with retaliation.
The warning follows a recent escalation that began in late February, marking six months of conflict. Over the weekend, U.S. forces disabled three Iranian oil tankers in response to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) ballistic‑missile attack on two U.S. Navy warships. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth subsequently threatened to "destroy" Iranian oil vessels if Tehran continued to target American ships.
Iranian officials have signaled plans to declare a restricted zone around the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days, a move that could further constrain maritime traffic. Prior to the war, roughly 125 large commodity vessels passed through the strait each day, accounting for about one‑fifth of global tanker traffic. Since the escalation, traffic has collapsed: only two vessels transited on Saturday, six on Sunday, and the ten‑day moving average fell to ten vessels, the lowest level recorded since May.
Analysts at Vital Knowledge described Washington's pressure as a "Pyrrhic victory," suggesting Tehran's economic desperation may drive it to intensify the conflict. The speaker's remarks underscore the heightened risk to U.S. oil and gas firms operating in the waters, which he said share the exposure of the broader production chain.
The situation adds to broader geopolitical uncertainty in a key oil transit corridor, with potential implications for global energy markets if a restricted zone is formally imposed.
