As of August 14, 2026, US Central Command had redirected 62 commercial vessels, disabled three vessels, and boarded two vessels since reinstating the naval blockade against Iran on July 14, 2026, with the second enforcement phase entering its fifth week. The United States deploys aircraft carriers, helicopters, and surface vessels to intercept ships attempting to reach or depart Iranian ports through the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman. Three ships have been disabled using Hellfire missiles for failing to comply with diversion warnings. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes, remains the strategic focal point of this blockade, which specifically targets vessels linked to Iranian ports rather than all shipping in the region.
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