US Claims to Have Stopped Six Ships Leaving Iranian Ports

JAKARTA - The United States military on Tuesday said it had successfully stopped six ships sailing out of Iranian ports during the first 24 hours of a naval blockade against Iran.

US Central Command (US CENTCOM) - which is responsible for American forces in the Middle East - said more than 10,000 US troops, dozens of warships and dozens of aircraft took part in the mission.

"During the first 24 hours, no ships managed to pass the US blockade and six merchant ships complied with the orders of US forces to turn around and return to Iranian ports in the Gulf of Oman," US CENTCOM said in a post on X, reported Al Arabiya from AFP (15/4).

"The blockade is applied fairly to ships from all countries that enter or leave Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman," he added.

However, despite the US CENTCOM's statement that no ships managed to break through the blockade, tracking information from maritime data provider Kpler showed at least two ships sailing from Iranian ports crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Monday.

The Taliban military effectively closed the strait after the start of the US-Israeli air campaign against Iran on February 28.

Iran responded by attacking Israeli territory and targets related to the United States in neighboring countries and triggering tensions in the Middle East.

Last week, tensions eased with the announcement of a ceasefire agreement followed by direct talks in Islamabad, Pakistan on Saturday.

However, the negotiations, which also discussed Iran's nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz, were deadlocked and ended without an agreement.

Later, the United States on Sunday announced a blockade after negotiations stalled.