The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has announced that U.S. forces “will begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on April 13 at 10 a.m. ET, in accordance with the President’s proclamation,” marking a major escalation in maritime operations around Iran.
The statement, released on X on Sunday, said that the measure will target all shipping activity linked to Iranian ports across the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, while being enforced uniformly on vessels of all nationalities.
CENTCOM stressed that the operation will be applied without discrimination, stating that the blockade “will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.”
The command also clarified that its forces “will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports,” signalling an effort to limit disruption to global shipping routes outside Iranian jurisdiction.
According to the announcement, additional operational instructions will be issued to commercial mariners before the blockade takes effect, with shipping operators urged to closely monitor official maritime warnings.
CENTCOM further advised vessels operating in the region to follow Notice to Mariners broadcasts and maintain contact with U.S. naval forces on bridge-to-bridge channel 16 when navigating the Gulf of Oman and approaches to the Strait of Hormuz.
The move comes amid rapidly rising tensions in the region following the collapse of recent U.S.–Iran talks, with international concern growing over potential disruptions to one of the world’s most critical energy shipping corridors.
Earlier on Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump posted remarks on Truth Social, threatening to block the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that the U.S. Navy would intervene to prevent ships from passing through the waterway. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement afterward that they had full operational control over the strategic waterway and warned that “any wrong move will trap the enemy in deadly whirlpools in the strait.”