CENTCOM Lifts Iran Maritime Blockade as Trump and Pezeshkian Formally Sign War-Ending MOU

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - US Central Command announced Thursday that American forces have lifted the naval blockade on all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, following the formal signing of the memorandum of understanding to end the war by both President Donald Trump and Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian.

In a statement released Thursday, CENTCOM confirmed: "Today, US forces lifted the blockade on all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, in accordance with the President's direction. American forces are not impeding the transit of vessels to or from Iranian ports. All US military blockade enforcement efforts have ceased."

CENTCOM added that US naval ships will remain in the general area to ensure that all aspects of the agreement are adhered to and remain in full force and effect.

The Blockade That Reshaped Global Energy Markets

The lifting of the blockade marks the end of one of the most consequential maritime enforcement operations in recent American military history. The US blockade of Iranian ports, imposed by President Trump in mid-April 2026 following Iran's near-total disruption of commercial tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, had effectively squeezed the world's most vital energy corridor from both directions, producing a sustained global supply shock that sent oil prices surging and pushed economies from Iraq to South Korea into acute financial stress.

CENTCOM confirmed on Monday, June 8, 2026, that US military ships had turned away 134 vessels and disabled seven others that ignored warnings since the blockade took effect, including a Palau-flagged oil tanker intercepted in the Gulf of Oman. The operation involved the deployment of AH-64 Apache helicopters, armed MQ-9 Reaper drones, and advanced fighter jets including the F/A-18 and F-35 across the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

The human and economic cost of the blockade period was severe. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein warned on Saturday, June 6, 2026, that Iraq's oil exports had collapsed from nearly 100 million barrels in February to below 10 million barrels in April, with Baghdad printing an additional 25 trillion Iraqi dinars to cover the fiscal shortfall. Gas prices in the United States rose 40 percent over the course of the war, reaching a national average of $4.17 a gallon, while diesel climbed 42 percent to $5.34, according to the AAA motor club on Sunday, June 8, 2026.

A Signing That Followed Days of Fragile Diplomacy

The formal completion of the signing process by both heads of state represents the culmination of weeks of intensive diplomatic activity. Axios reported on Wednesday, June 11, 2026, citing US officials, that Washington and Tehran had signed the memorandum of understanding electronically, with the agreement taking effect immediately. The completion of the signing by both presidents, Trump and Pezeshkian, appears to have triggered CENTCOM's blockade enforcement stand-down in accordance with the president's direction.

The diplomatic path to the agreement was shaped by multiple intermediaries. Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi made three visits to Tehran in recent weeks, carrying a special letter from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir addressed directly to Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. French President Emmanuel Macron called both Trump and Pezeshkian on Wednesday, June 11, 2026, urging both leaders to ensure Lebanon's inclusion in any ceasefire as a necessary condition for a credible and lasting settlement.

Hormuz Tolls Remain a Pending Issue

The lifting of the blockade does not resolve all outstanding questions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated on Iranian state television that the waterway "will not return to prewar conditions" and that Tehran will charge fees for transit services once a 60-day toll-free period stipulated in the memorandum expires. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the management of the strait would fall under the joint responsibility of Iran and Oman.

Trump, who had previously said he would not accept tolls on the strait, defended the deal by arguing that without it the waterway would "never have been opened" and that a "worldwide depression" would have resulted.

The presence of US naval ships in the region following the blockade's lifting signals that Washington intends to monitor compliance closely, ensuring that both the terms of the memorandum and the freedom of navigation that the agreement is intended to restore are upheld in practice as the 60-day toll-free window begins.