The United States has warned that its proposed blockade around Iranian ports will apply to all vessels, regardless of flag, with ships risking interception if they enter the designated zone without authorisation.
According to a notice to seafarers cited by Reuters, the US military said the blockade would be enforced across the Gulf of Oman and parts of the Arabian Sea east of the Strait of Hormuz.
However, it clarified that the move “will not impede neutral transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations.
The advisory underscored that any vessel entering or leaving the blockaded area without approval would be subject to “interception, diversion, and capture.”
The development comes amid escalating tensions in the region following the ongoing US-Iran conflict, which began after US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
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Reacting to the move, the head of the United Nations maritime agency pushed back against the legality of such a blockade.
“In accordance to international law, no countries have the right to prohibit the right of innocent passage or the freedom of navigation through international straits that are used for international transit,” International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said.
Talks between US and Iranian officials in Islamabad—led by Vice President JD Vance—ended without a breakthrough.
US President Donald Trump had also announced plans for the blockade on social media, reiterating his demand that Tehran fully reopen the strategic waterway.
The blockade, scheduled to begin at 1400 GMT, is aimed at ships docking at or departing from Iranian ports on either side of the strait.
However, with hours to go before the deadline, questions remain over how the US intends to operationalise such a sweeping restriction.
Iran has warned it would treat any attempt to enforce a blockade as an act of piracy, further raising the stakes in one of the world's most critical energy corridors.
Analysts say the move is designed to choke Iran's oil revenues and increase pressure on its key buyers.
“Presumably, Trump's intent is to try to starve Iran of export revenue and compel Iran's main oil customers, particularly China, to pressure Tehran to end its blockage of the strait,” The Soufan Center said in its daily note.
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