US military says it redirected 72 ships from transiting Strait of Hormuz

The US said Thursday that it redirected 72 commercial vessels and disabled four others to enforce President Donald Trump’s blockade on ships traveling to or from Iranian ports through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Since the start of the blockade, CENTCOM forces have redirected 72 commercial ships, and disabled 4,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on the US social media platform X.

Regional tensions have remained high since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, prompting retaliatory attacks by Tehran against Israel and US allies in Gulf countries, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. Trump later extended the truce indefinitely while maintaining a blockade on vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports through the strategic waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s key energy chokepoints, linking the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and international markets. Disruptions in the area have fueled concerns over global oil, fuel, and gas supplies since the start of the Iran war.