ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States military said on Saturday that its naval blockade on Iran remains “fully enforced,” announcing that American forces have redirected dozens of commercial vessels and disabled four ships since the operation began last month amid ongoing tensions in the Persian Gulf.
“The U.S. Naval blockade against Iran continues be to fully enforced. As of today, CENTCOM forces have redirected 58 commercial vessels and disabled 4 since April 13 to prevent the ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports,” the Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X.
The latest incident took place on Friday when US forces disabled two Iranian-flagged oil tankers - identified as the M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda - after they allegedly attempted to enter an Iranian port through the Gulf of Oman in violation of the blockade, according to CENTCOM.
The blockade, imposed on April 13 following the collapse of Pakistan-mediated peace negotiations between Washington and Tehran, targets vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports while officially allowing commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz to non-Iranian destinations.
Saturday’s statement comes as the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran - brokered after nearly six weeks of conflict that erupted on February 28 - remains under growing strain.
Despite repeated diplomatic contacts and ongoing mediation efforts by regional countries, military tensions have persisted in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway through which around one-fifth of global oil supplies passed before the crisis.