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United States Central Command said Sunday that American forces will begin enforcing a maritime blockade on vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports starting Monday morning, following a directive from President Donald Trump.
The command said the operation will apply to all ships entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including regions along the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Officials emphasized that the blockade would be enforced regardless of a vessel’s country of origin.
CENTCOM said U.S. forces will not interfere with ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz if they are traveling to or from non-Iranian ports, underscoring that freedom of navigation through the vital shipping lane will remain intact.
Commercial vessels in the region were advised to monitor official maritime communications and maintain contact with U.S. naval forces using standard bridge-to-bridge Channel 16. Additional guidance is expected to be issued through formal maritime notices.
The announcement followed comments earlier Sunday from President Trump, who said the U.S. Navy would move to block Iran from collecting tolls on ships passing through the region. He warned that vessels found to have paid such fees could be intercepted in international waters.
“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz. At some point, we will reach an ‘ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT’ basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen by merely saying, ‘There may be a mine out there somewhere,’ that nobody knows about but them,” the president wrote.
“THIS IS WORLD EXTORTION, and Leaders of Countries, especially the United States of America, will never be extorted. I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas. We will also begin destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the Straits. Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!” he added.
Speaking to reporters later, Trump confirmed the timing of the operation, saying, “At 10 a.m. tomorrow, we have a blockade going into effect,” and added that other nations were working alongside the United States to limit Iran’s ability to export oil.
The move comes after the latest round of U.S.-Iran talks ended without a final agreement. President Trump said negotiations had made progress but noted that differences remain, particularly regarding Iran’s nuclear program.