U.S. Central Command said more than 10,000 military personnel, as well as warships and aircraft, were involved in the blockade.
Published April 15, 2026
The US military said the blockade of Iranian ports was “fully implemented” and economic trade in and out of Iran by sea had been “completely suspended.”
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which is responsible for military operations in the Middle East and is leading the war against Iran, said in a social media post that a blockade was in place against all countries’ ships “entering or leaving Iran’s coastal areas or ports.”
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“An estimated 90 percent of Iran’s economy is supported by international trade by sea. Less than 36 hours after the blockade was imposed, the U.S. military completely halted economic trade to and from Iran by sea,” CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said in a statement late Tuesday.
Centcom said more than 10,000 sailors, Marines and U.S. Air Force personnel were participating in the operation, and that six commercial ships followed U.S. orders to turn around and “re-enter Iranian ports” in the first 24 hours.
According to Reuters, on Tuesday, a day after the blockade was imposed, a US Navy destroyer seized two tankers attempting to leave Iranian ports and ordered them to return.
Officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity that the ship had left Iran’s Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman and had been contacted by radio from a US warship.
US President Donald Trump hopes the blockade will force authorities in Tehran to accept Washington’s terms on ending the US-Israeli war against Iran. He announced the blockade after weekend talks between the United States and Iran in Pakistan collapsed following the announcement of a ceasefire to halt attacks.
CENTCOM said no ships had passed through the US naval blockade since it went into effect at 10am Washington DC (1400 GMT) on Monday.
Abbas Aslani, a senior fellow at Tehran’s Middle East Center for Strategic Studies, said on Wednesday that Iranians believe the United States is hinting at restarting peace talks to cushion the blow of the blockade of global oil markets.
Oil prices had soared above $100 per barrel before falling on hopes of further dialogue between the two countries.
The Iranian government considers the blockade to be a violation of the ceasefire, which “could complicate the situation,” Asrani added.
“The ceasefire currently in place is very fragile,” he said.
“We are waiting to see how Iran reacts.”
