US blockade halts ship traffic to Iranian ports, CENTCOM says
By Eve Sampson
Apr 14, 2026, 01:00 PM
No ship entered or exited Iranian ports during the first 24 hours of a sweeping U.S. maritime blockade, in an operation involving more than 10,000 troops and over a dozen warships, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday.
The move places U.S. forces at the center of a key global shipping route after President Donald Trump on Sunday said the U.S. Navy would blockade the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime corridor through which much of the world’s oil shipments flow.
The blockade began Monday morning and applies to all vessels coming and going from Iranian ports, the command said on social media, adding on Tuesday that six merchant ships had followed orders to turn around. Vessels not engaging with Iranian ports remain free to navigate the Strait of Hormuz.
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/04/14/us-blockade-halts-ship-traffic-to-iranian-ports-centcom-says/
