Strait of Hormuz blockade activity
Images show U.S. Marines training aboard USS Tripoli while a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports coincides with contested transit reports around the Strait of Hormuz. Analysts and observers posted video breakdowns and lists of vessels transiting despite claims of halts, and the U.S. Central Command shared operational imagery this week. ( )
U.S. Central Command says it is enforcing a naval blockade on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports, while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains contested. (centcom.mil) The command said on April 12 that the blockade began April 13 at 10 a.m. Eastern Time and applies to “all maritime traffic” entering or exiting Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. It also said U.S. forces would not block ships transiting the strait to and from non-Iranian ports. (centcom.mil) That distinction is at the center of the confusion. The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, and a ship can pass through it without calling at an Iranian port. (apnews.com) U.S. Central Command this week posted imagery from the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, including April 2 and April 6 photos of Marine Corps flight and deck-fire training tied to Operation Epic Fury. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that the ship is part of the blockade mission. (centcom.mil 1) (centcom.mil 2) (dvidshub.net) (wsj.com) On April 14, Reuters reported that six merchant ships had followed U.S. orders to turn back. On April 15, Reuters reported that the sanctioned tanker Rich Starry headed back toward the Strait after exiting the Gulf the previous day, failing to break through the blockade on ships calling at Iranian ports. (msn.com) (usnews.com) Shipping trackers and analysts have reported continued movement in the waterway itself. Reuters, cited by Al Jazeera on April 14, said at least three vessels, including two sanctioned tankers, entered the Gulf through Hormuz on the first full day of the U.S. blockade. (aljazeera.com) United States Naval Institute News reported April 14 that at least seven ships initially reversed course after the blockade announcement. Lloyd’s List reported the same day that a sanctioned tanker appeared set to test the blockade before making a U-turn. (news.usni.org) (lloydslist.com) Iranian media and officials have pushed the opposite line, highlighting tankers that they say crossed with tracking systems visible and without concealment. CBS reported Wednesday that Iran’s Fars News Agency said one supertanker transited international waters and the strait with its tracking system switched on. (cbsnews.com) The result is two simultaneous facts: the United States says it is stopping ships tied to Iranian ports, and vessel-tracking data shows some ships are still moving through Hormuz on other routes. The next test is whether more tankers try to approach Iranian ports under the blockade rules now in effect. (centcom.mil) (apnews.com) (news.usni.org)
