U.S. Navy reroutes 34 commercial vessels amid Strait of Hormuz blockade
- U.S. Central Command said on April 24 that American forces had redirected 34 vessels under its Iran-port blockade, while non-Iranian shipping still transited Hormuz. - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the blockade would last “as long as it takes,” and CBS reported 34 non-Iranian vessels were still moving. - The blockade targets Iran-bound trade, not all Hormuz traffic, after April 13 mine-clearing and interdictions rattled insurers and shippers. (centcom.mil)
The U.S. military says it has redirected 34 vessels since launching its blockade of ships entering or leaving Iranian ports on April 13. (cbsnews.com) (middleeasteye.net) That is narrower than a full closure of the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command said when it announced the operation that ships transiting to and from non-Iranian ports would not be impeded. (centcom.mil) The blockade began at 10 a.m. Eastern on April 13 after U.S. warships started mine-clearing operations in the strait. USNI reported the destroyers USS Frank E. Petersen and USS Michael Murphy were among the first Navy ships sent through to set conditions for a “safe pathway.” (centcom.mil) (news.usni.org) In the first 48 hours, the Pentagon’s public count was much lower. The Associated Press reported on April 15 that CENTCOM said 10 vessels had complied with orders to turn around and head back toward Iranian waters. (yahoo.com) By April 19, CENTCOM said U.S. forces had directed 25 commercial vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port. That same day, it said U.S. forces disabled an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel that ignored the blockade while trying to sail toward an Iranian port. (centcom.mil) By April 21 and April 22, outside reports citing CENTCOM put the redirected-vessel count at 28 and then 29. The rising tally showed the operation was continuing even as Washington and Tehran both described the wider conflict as being under a ceasefire. (ndtv.com) (anews.com.tr) (abc.net.au) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on April 24 that the blockade would remain in place “as long as it takes.” CBS also reported him saying 34 non-Iranian vessels were able to transit the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring that the U.S. position is to choke off Iranian seaborne trade, not all Gulf traffic. (cbsnews.com) Shipping data and outside analysis show the picture is messier on the water. ABC reported that some ships have crossed, some have been turned around, and several vessels likely linked to Iran appear to have made it through despite the U.S. cordon. (abc.net.au) The New York Times reported on April 24 that both Iran and the United States were trying to exert control over the passage and that most ships were not moving. CSIS said the standoff had sharply reduced traffic and rattled oil and shipping markets. (nytimes.com) (csis.org) The humanitarian spillover is showing up in medicine supply warnings as well. Reuters video distributed by other outlets showed healthcare workers in Tehran warning of possible shortages as the blockade and severe shipping disruption hampered supply chains. (msn.com) For now, the clearest verified number is the U.S. military’s own running count: 34 redirected vessels by April 24. The bigger fight is over whether that proves the blockade is working, or whether the mixed ship movements show it is still porous. (middleeasteye.net) (abc.net.au)
