More than 10,000 US sailors, Marines and airmen, backed by over a dozen warships and dozens of aircraft, are enforcing a naval blockade on ships entering and leaving Iranian ports, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Monday, marking a major escalation in the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said that during the first 24 hours of the operation, “no ships made it past the U.S. blockade” and six merchant vessels complied with instructions from American forces to turn back and re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman.
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According to the statement, the blockade applies to vessels of all nations seeking to enter or depart Iranian ports and coastal areas, including facilities on the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
CENTCOM said the operation was being enforced “impartially” and added that U.S. forces were continuing to support freedom of navigation for ships travelling through the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.
The command also released a graphic detailing the scale of the operation. It said the mission involves 10,000-plus service members, more than 100 fighter and surveillance aircraft, and at least 12 warships.
The listed assets include an aircraft carrier, amphibious assault ship, amphibious transport dock ship, dock landing ship, guided-missile destroyers, littoral combat ships, land- and sea-based fighter aircraft, unmanned aircraft, refuelling aircraft, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.
The blockade significantly widens the military dimension of a conflict that had already disrupted energy markets and shipping routes across the region.
Whereas, Iran had earlier moved to restrict access through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies normally pass.
Any prolonged disruption in the area is expected to have serious consequences for global trade, oil prices and supply chains. Analysts have warned that pressure on shipping insurance, freight costs and fuel markets could intensify if the standoff continues.
The U.S. has said its actions are aimed at preventing Iran from using maritime routes for strategic and economic advantage during the war. Tehran, however, has condemned earlier U.S. naval actions in the region as unlawful and provocative. There was no immediate fresh response from Iranian authorities to CENTCOM's latest statement.
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The announcement comes amid international concern over the risk of a broader confrontation in West Asia. Diplomatic efforts by several countries to secure a ceasefire or reopen shipping lanes have so far failed to produce a breakthrough.
With thousands of troops and a large naval-air deployment now committed to the operation, the blockade represents one of the most extensive U.S. military actions in the Gulf in recent years.
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