ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Pentagon confirmed during a Thursday briefing that the naval blockade imposed on Iran applies to all vessels, regardless of nationality, traveling to or from Iranian ports. Officials said such ships could be targeted both within Iranian territorial waters and in international waters.
During the briefing, defense officials outlined CENTCOM’s primary operational objectives, which focus on disrupting logistical routes used by Tehran to transfer advanced conventional weapons and sustain allied networks across the Middle East.
Addressing the strategic rationale behind the blockade, the Pentagon said the deployment is intended to stabilize international waters and counter asymmetric maritime threats before they can be deployed.
“This blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports. The US action is a blockade of Iran’s ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Enforcement will occur inside Iran’s territorial seas and in international waters,” said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine.
The announcement comes as a Pakistan-brokered two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran has taken effect, following nearly 40 days of conflict that began on February 28, when the US and Israel launched a joint aerial campaign targeting thousands of sites across Iran. Several senior Iranian leaders and commanders were killed in the initial strikes, including former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In response, Tehran launched thousands of drone and missile attacks across the Middle East, targeting alleged US assets - particularly in Gulf Arab states - as well as carrying out retaliatory strikes against Israel.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that American forces had destroyed 158 Iranian naval vessels during the Iran-Israel-US war, which erupted in late February and lasted nearly 40 days.
“What we have not hit are their small number of what they call ‘fast attack ships,’ because we did not consider them much of a threat,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform, warning they would be targeted if they approached the blockade zone.
The operation relies heavily on CENTCOM naval strike groups, supported by integrated air and missile systems, land-attack cruise missiles, anti-ship weapons, anti-submarine capabilities, and layered defense systems currently deployed in the region.
Officials added that US naval forces, backed by continuous aerial surveillance, have established a strict interdiction zone designed to inspect, intercept, and, if necessary, halt maritime traffic attempting to bypass the newly imposed embargo.
US Vice Admiral Cooper praised the 50,000 deployed American personnel for their “exceptional valor” during recent operations against Iran, noting that regional military partnerships are stronger than ever.
“Having now fought side by side, I assess that our military partnerships are stronger than ever as we continue to maintain a very active defense posture across the region during the ceasefire,” Cooper said.
Iran warned on Wednesday that it could close the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab in the Red Sea if the US naval blockade remains in place. The threat risks further undermining already fragile prospects for renewed dialogue between the two sides in the coming days.