[UPDATE] Iran says it will declare a restricted zone near the Strait of Hormuz and will strike threats "even before" they are carried out

The zone. Iran's security council chief, Mohsen Rezaei, said Monday, Sept. 7, that Tehran will set up a restricted "exclusion zone" near the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days. The doctrine. State media, showing off an upgraded Qassem Basir ballistic missile with a range of 1,200 kilometers (745 miles), said the weapon demonstrates a new doctrine: Iran "will take action against any threat, even before it is carried out." The trigger. The announcements came two days after U.S. forces disabled three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday, Sept. 5, in retaliation for missiles fired at American warships. Washington's answer. The White House said the waterway "is open and controlled by the U.S.," that the Navy has cleared the strait of mines, and that traffic to non-Iranian ports will keep rising. (TS: Al Jazeera counted transits down 95% from normal as of Aug. 27.) The U.S. military has redirected 94 commercial vessels because of the conflict as of Monday, Sept. 7. Pump prices. At home, Tehran doubled pump prices for its heaviest fuel buyers — the 15% who buy the most — to 100,000 rials a liter, about 7 cents, from 50,000 rials in December. Still open. Rezaei gave no date, no coordinates and no stated penalty for entering the zone.