ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US forces have redirected dozens of commercial vessels attempting to reach Iranian ports, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, describing the naval blockade as “highly effective” at cutting off billions in Tehran’s oil revenue.
“Today, U.S. forces achieved a significant milestone after successfully redirecting the 42nd commercial vessel attempting to violate the blockade,” CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper was cited as saying in a late Wednesday statement.
He added that the operation reflects “the outstanding work America's sons and daughters in uniform are doing to prevent maritime commerce from entering or exiting Iranian ports.”
According to Cooper, the blockade has also left dozens of oil shipments stranded, dealing a major financial blow to Iran’s leadership. “Right now there are 41 tankers with 69 million barrels of oil that the Iranian regime can't sell. That's an estimated $6 billion-plus from which Iran’s leadership cannot financially benefit,” he said.
“The blockade is highly effective and U.S. forces remain fully committed to total enforcement.”
The latest figures mark an increase from earlier in the week, when CENTCOM reported that American forces had turned back 38 vessels linked to Iranian ports.
The blockade comes amid heightened tensions following a wide-scale US and Israeli air campaign against Iran that began on February 28, targeting more than 17,000 sites across the country over nearly six weeks of hostilities.