The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Tuesday that six merchant vessels were turned back by U.S. forces during the first 24 hours of a newly declared blockade of Strait of Hormuz.
The naval blockade, announced on Sunday by President Donald Trump after ceasefire talks with Iran ended without an agreement, applies to vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports. Ships coming from or bound for destinations outside Iran will still be allowed to transit the strait.
“No ships made it past the U.S. blockade, and six merchant vessels complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman,” CENTCOM said.
More than 10,000 U.S. Sailors, Marines, and Airmen along with over a dozen warships and dozens of aircraft are executing the mission to blockade ships entering and departing Iranian ports. During the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the U.S. blockade and 6 merchant vessels… pic.twitter.com/dpWAAknzQp
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 14, 2026
In a note sent to seafarers on Monday regarding the blockade, the U.S. military said: “Any vessel entering or departing the blockaded area without authorization is subject to interception, diversion, and capture.”
The Monday advisory said the order would cover all of Iran’s coastline, though humanitarian shipments, including food, medical supplies, and other essential goods, would be allowed to pass subject to inspection.
CENTCOM said more than 10,000 U.S. personnel, along with over a dozen warships and dozens of aircraft, are enforcing the blockade across the region. The operation is being carried out by a carrier strike group and other naval assets positioned to monitor the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters.
The military did not immediately clarify whether any ships had attempted to defy the blockade or had been intercepted during the first 24 hours of the operation.
The New York Times reported that the Liberia-flagged cargo ship Christianna “exited the Persian Gulf through the strait on Monday night, after leaving the Iranian port city of Bandar Imam Khomeini.” The vessel was not carrying any cargo, according to the report.
The report also said the methanol carrier Elpis, which had been at the Iranian port of Bushehr, “traversed the strait roughly around the time that the U.S. blockade began.”
ELPIS (9212400) was berthed in Bushehr, Iran on 2026-03-29 as per AIS data and satellite imagery. #OOTT #Tankers #IranWar pic.twitter.com/c2OaPQdjOI
— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) April 14, 2026
Chinese-owned vessel Rich Starry, which is sanctioned by the U.S. for Iran-related trade, also sailed east from Sharjah through the strait overnight, according to BBC reporting. The sanctioned tanker Murlikishan similarly moved west from Lanshan, China, through the same waterway, the BBC reported.
BREAKING: US-sanctioned tanker, Chinese-owned Rich Starry, transited through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday despite a US blockade of the vital oil chokepoint, shipping data from LSEG showed. pic.twitter.com/yrIRltDvrI
— Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) April 14, 2026
U.S. authorities have yet to confirm whether the ships transited the strait before the blockade took effect or had received authorization to pass.
