US Enforces Iran Port Blockade with Massive Deployment
The United States has deployed a force of more than 10,000 troops, alongside more than a dozen warships and dozens of aircraft, to enforce a blockade of Iranian ports. According to US Central Command, no vessels succeeded in breaching the blockade during the first 24 hours after the measure was imposed.
Six merchant ships also complied with orders from US forces and turned back to Iranian ports in the Gulf of Oman, underscoring the immediate impact of the operation on commercial traffic.
The blockade, announced by President Donald Trump, is reportedly being applied broadly to vessels of all nationalities heading to or departing from Iranian ports. The scope of the measure has raised questions about its implications for international shipping and maritime law.
At the same time, US officials have stressed that freedom of navigation remains unaffected in the strategic Strait of Hormuz for routes serving non-Iranian ports, seeking to reassure global markets and trading partners.