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DUBAI, May 12 (Reuters) - Iran has expanded its definition of the Strait of ​Hormuz into a "vast operational area" far wider than before the Iran war, ‌according to a senior officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy.

The strait is no longer viewed as a narrow stretch around a handful of islands but instead has been greatly ​enlarged in scope and military significance, said Mohammad Akbarzadeh, deputy political director ​of the IRGC Navy, the state-affiliated Fars news agency reported on ⁠Tuesday.

"In the past, the Strait of Hormuz was defined as a limited area ​around islands such as Hormuz and Hengam, but today this view has changed,” Akbarzadeh ​said.

Iranian authorities did not reply to a Reuters request for immediate comment.

About a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supply normally passes through the strait, which is the ​gateway to the Gulf and main export route for countries such as Saudi ​Arabia, Iraq and Qatar.

Akbarzadeh said the strait is now defined as a strategic zone stretching from ‌the ⁠city of Jask in the east to Siri Island in the west, describing it as “a vast operational area”.

The reported expansion is the second announced by Iran since the start of its conflict with the U.S. and Israel.

On May 4, the IRGC Navy ​published a map showing ​a new zone ⁠of control extending along significant a stretch of the UAE's Gulf of Oman coastline.

That stretched from Iran's Mount Mobarak and the ​UAE's emirate of Fujairah in the east to Iran's Qeshm ​Island and ⁠the UAE emirate of Umm al Quwain in the west.

Tuesday's announcement appears to represent a widening of that area.

Fars and Tasnim, another Iranian news agency, reported on Tuesday ⁠that ​the strait’s width, which they said was previously estimated ​at 20 to 30 miles, had now increased to between 200 and 300 miles.

The expanded zone forms ​a “complete crescent”, Tasnim said.

Two US Navy destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Persian Gulf after facing what US officials described as a coordinated Iranian barrage, according to CBS News.

The USS Truxtun and the USS Mason were supported by Apache helicopters and other aircraft during the passage, defense officials said.

Iranian forces launched small boats, missiles and drones in what officials described as a sustained attack.

Despite the intensity of the encounter, neither vessel was struck, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Iran's president and parliament speaker are seeking Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s removal, accusing him of following the Revolutionary Guard chief’s instructions in nuclear talks without informing the president, two sources familiar with the matter told Iran International.

President Masoud Pezeshkian and Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf believe Araghchi has in recent weeks acted less as a cabinet minister tasked with implementing government policy and more as an aide to Ahmad Vahidi, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, the sources said.

According to the sources who are familiar with ongoing discussions between the heads of Iran's executive and legislative branches, Araghchi has acted over the past two weeks without informing Pezeshkian, in full coordination with Vahidi and based on his directives.

The situation has caused deep dissatisfaction for Pezeshkian, who has told people close to him that he will dismiss Araghchi if it continues, the sources added.