U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Cain speaks while a map of the Strait of Hormuz is displayed during a press conference at the Pentagon on April 16, 2026, in Washington, DC.
Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images
The Pentagon announced Thursday that the U.S. Navy has turned back 13 ships since the blockade of Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman began more than 24 hours ago.
President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday, complaining that Iran showed no signs of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, one of the conditions for agreeing to a fragile two-week ceasefire now in effect.
The effort to ratchet up pressure on Iran comes after the first round of peace talks between the United States and Iran failed over the weekend. The United States on Wednesday remained optimistic about the prospects for a diplomatic end to the war that began on February 28.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Cain said at a press conference Thursday morning that “the U.S. action is a blockade of Iran’s ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.”
President Trump declared on Sunday that the United States would personally close the strait, but U.S. Central Command later clarified the scope of the enforcement action.
“It applies to all ships, regardless of their nationality, that enter or leave Iranian ports,” Kaine wrote on Thursday.
Kaine said the U.S. military is also actively pursuing “Iranian-flagged vessels or vessels attempting to provide material support to Iran” in other regions, including illegal vessels known as the “dark fleet.”
Kaine said the navy issued a warning as blockaded vessels approached: “Do not attempt to break the blockade. Vessels entering or exiting Iranian ports will be boarded for interdiction and seizure. Turn around or prepare to board. If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force.”
“This is a finely tuned machine that has been rehearsed many times and executed 13 times to date since lockdown began,” Mr Kane said.
Those 13 ships “made the wise choice to turn around as we continue this blockade,” he said, adding that the military had not yet had to board any of the ships.
