April 15, 2026 | 02:21 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that its forces had completely halted all maritime trade to and from Iran within 36 hours of the blockade's implementation.
As quoted by Antara, CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper on Tuesday made a statement after the U.S. began a blockade on Monday of all maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports.
CENTCOM, which is responsible for U.S. military operations in the Middle East, said the blockade was imposed on all ships from any country passing through the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
However, Cooper said that U.S. forces "will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports."
The U.S. imposed the blockade after direct negotiations between the U.S. and Iran in Pakistan last weekend failed to reach an agreement to end the war that erupted on February 28.
On Tuesday, CENTCOM reported that no ships had successfully passed the blockade during the first 24 hours. Meanwhile, six merchant vessels complied with orders to turn around and return to Iranian ports in the Gulf of Oman.
According to The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials, the U.S. Navy has intercepted eight oil tankers heading to or leaving Iranian ports since the blockade began.
Read: How US Blockade of Hormuz Could Shake the Global Economy
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