., was being set up, and aimed at enhancing security for commercial vessels operating in Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Oman in the wake of recent attacks on oil tankers.. ..…

The sanctioning of Zarif, who is widely seen as a moderate among Iran’s theocratic leadership, will likely make it more difficult for Iran and the U.S. to find ways to avert an armed confrontation in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, which all lie off..…