US says it has redirected 100 commercial vessels under Iran blockade

International, Middle East

WASHINGTON, United States (NPA) — The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) says its forces have redirected 100 commercial vessels over the past 60 days while enforcing a maritime blockade against Iran.

In a statement on Saturday, CENTCOM said the milestone meant no vessel had passed through the blockade without authorisation from U.S. forces.

“CENTCOM forces have redirected 100 commercial vessels over the past 60 days since America resumed the steel wall blockade against Iran. ZERO ships have passed through the blockade without U.S. forces allowing it,” the command said.

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“American service members remain laser focused on this mission.”

The United States resumed its naval blockade of maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports on July 14, 2026, following an earlier blockade that began in April. CENTCOM said the blockade applies to vessels travelling to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas.

The command has said the operation is aimed at enforcing restrictions on commercial vessels seeking to enter or leave Iranian ports.

CENTCOM’s area of responsibility covers a broad region stretching across the Middle East and parts of Central and South Asia, where U.S. forces conduct security and maritime operations.

CENTCOM denies Iranian claim over US warships

The latest development comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran and a series of reported military confrontations at sea.

On September 9, CENTCOM rejected a claim attributed to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that Iranian forces had struck two U.S. Navy destroyers operating in the Middle East.

CENTCOM described the claim as false, saying no U.S. Navy warship had been struck and that Iranian attacks had failed.

The command also said U.S. forces had destroyed 10 Iranian tankers within a week, describing the vessels as part of what it called a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies.

US destroys five Iranian tankers

The development followed a September 8 announcement by CENTCOM that U.S. forces had destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after the IRGC allegedly targeted a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles on two occasions over two days.

According to CENTCOM, the U.S. warship evaded the attacks and continued patrolling regional waters, with no American personnel reported injured.

The command said the five tankers — M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1, M/T Riesco and M/T Derya — were destroyed in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island.

CENTCOM said American forces directed the crews to abandon the vessels before they were struck and rendered inoperable.

The command said the tankers were allegedly part of a multibillion-dollar network used to finance the IRGC and its regional proxies.

The latest strikes followed another operation on September 5, when CENTCOM said U.S. forces struck three Iranian crude oil carriers after the IRGC launched ballistic missiles towards two U.S. Navy warships.

CENTCOM said the U.S. aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer successfully evaded the attacks and that no American personnel were harmed.

The U.S. military has continued to enforce the blockade as tensions with Iran remain high, with CENTCOM warning that its forces would continue to prevent vessels from violating the restrictions.