US Central Command said on Monday that its warships have now redirected 130 commercial vessels attempting to enter or leave Iranian ports since Washington resumed its naval blockade of Iran in mid-July, describing the operation as an intensifying effort to cut off Tehran's maritime trade.
The latest figures
In a statement issued on October 5, CENTCOM said the most recent ship was turned away that same day, bringing the cumulative total to 130 since the blockade restarted on July 14 at the direction of President Donald Trump.
The command also said it had disabled three vessels that refused to comply with orders and destroyed 13 ships over the past 12 weeks. According to CENTCOM, those vessels had either violated the blockade regime or were part of what it described as a multibillion-dollar "shadow network" linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Admiral Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, said the US military remains "intensely focused" on the mission and would act swiftly against any ship attempting to run the blockade.
Warning to mariners
The command urged mariners operating in the Gulf of Oman and approaching the Strait of Hormuz to monitor US Notices to Mariners and stay in contact with American naval forces on bridge-to-bridge Channel 16.
The figures underscore the scale of Washington's campaign to choke off maritime commerce with Iran amid the ongoing US-Iran confrontation, an effort aimed at tightening economic pressure on Tehran.
Sources:
- Gulf News: US Navy redirects 130 vessels amid Iran naval blockade
- ThePrint: US blockade bottles up dozens of Iranian tankers
The latest figures
In a statement issued on October 5, CENTCOM said the most recent ship was turned away that same day, bringing the cumulative total to 130 since the blockade restarted on July 14 at the direction of President Donald Trump.
The command also said it had disabled three vessels that refused to comply with orders and destroyed 13 ships over the past 12 weeks. According to CENTCOM, those vessels had either violated the blockade regime or were part of what it described as a multibillion-dollar "shadow network" linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Admiral Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, said the US military remains "intensely focused" on the mission and would act swiftly against any ship attempting to run the blockade.
Warning to mariners
The command urged mariners operating in the Gulf of Oman and approaching the Strait of Hormuz to monitor US Notices to Mariners and stay in contact with American naval forces on bridge-to-bridge Channel 16.
The figures underscore the scale of Washington's campaign to choke off maritime commerce with Iran amid the ongoing US-Iran confrontation, an effort aimed at tightening economic pressure on Tehran.
Sources:
- Gulf News: US Navy redirects 130 vessels amid Iran naval blockade
- ThePrint: US blockade bottles up dozens of Iranian tankers
