CENTCOM Announces Resumption of Maritime Blockade on Iranian Ports
In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said its forces will enforce the blockade against vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas, while continuing to facilitate the safe passage of ships not violating the restrictions through regional waters.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Monday that it will resume its maritime blockade targeting Iranian ports beginning July 14 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, following orders from the U.S. Commander in Chief.
In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said its forces will enforce the blockade against vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas, while continuing to facilitate the safe passage of ships not violating the restrictions through regional waters.
The military advised commercial mariners operating near the Gulf of Oman and the approaches to the Strait of Hormuz to monitor official Notice to Mariners broadcasts and contact U.S. naval forces on bridge-to-bridge channel 16. It added that further guidance would be issued through a formal notice to the shipping industry.
CENTCOM said the renewed operation follows its previous blockade, which was in effect from April 13 to June 18. During that period, U.S. forces redirected more than 140 compliant vessels, disabled nine non-compliant ships, and allowed more than 50 commercial vessels carrying humanitarian aid to pass through the blockade.
The announcement came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States would impose a 20% charge on all cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz to cover the costs of securing the strategic waterway, while also announcing the reinstatement of a blockade targeting Iranian shipping.
In a social media post, Trump declared that the Strait of Hormuz was "OPEN" and said the renewed blockade would only restrict Iranian ships and vessels serving Iranian customers from entering or leaving the waterway.
Iran rejected the announcement, accusing Washington of escalating regional tensions.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the U.S. move endangered global energy security by interfering in the Strait of Hormuz. IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebi said Tehran would continue to exercise sovereignty over the strategic waterway.
Separately, Iran's Khatam Al-Anbiya military command warned that it would not allow the United States to interfere in the management of the strait and cautioned Gulf states that any cooperation with U.S. operations there would be regarded as "an act of war."
The latest developments come amid renewed confrontation between Washington and Tehran, with both sides making competing claims over the security and control of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments pass.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 13, 2026