U.S. officials have reported that a destroyer seized two oil tankers as they departed from Iranian ports on Tuesday, part of the blockade initiated during the Trump administration. After the ships left Chabahar Port in the Gulf of Oman, they were contacted by a U.S. warship. This official also noted that these tankers were among six vessels instructed by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) to return to Iranian ports.
CENTCOM stated that more than 10,000 personnel—including sailors, marines, and aviators—were involved in a mission aimed at stopping ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports. For the first 24 hours of the blockade, there were no breaches, and six commercial vessels complied with the military’s directive to turn back.
The blockade is being uniformly enforced for all countries’ vessels navigating in and out of Iranian ports, particularly in the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. The U.S. military underscored its commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz for ships bound for non-Iranian ports.
The Pentagon did not provide immediate comments regarding this blockade on Wednesday. CENTCOM elaborated that typical destroyers are equipped with over 300 highly trained personnel for both offensive and defensive maritime operations.
The blockade has been fully put into effect as U.S. forces assert their maritime control in the Middle East. CENTCOM’s commander, Adm. Brad Cooper, remarked that approximately 90% of Iran’s economy relies on international maritime trade. He added that within 36 hours of the blockade’s initiation, the U.S. military succeeded in halting all economic maritime activities involving Iran.
