The United States Navy has been very, very busy patrolling the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway through which 20 percent of the world’s oil travels, as the conflict with Iran continues. After Trump declared a blockade of Iranian ports and the Strait, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Tuesday that the U.S. has sent almost 30 ships packing:
The U.S. Navy has turned back 27 ships attempting to enter or leave Iranian ports since an American blockade began about a week ago near the contested Strait of Hormuz, according to a New York Times report citing U.S. Central Command.
Since the start of the U.S. blockade against ships entering or exiting Iranian ports, U.S. forces have directed 28 vessels to turn around or return to port. pic.twitter.com/mZOq3SfxKt
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 21, 2026
Meanwhile, authorities announced Tuesday that U.S. forces boarded their second vessel of the conflict, the M/T Tifani, in the Bay of Bengal between India and Southeast Asia. It was carrying Iranian oil, and officials have to decide whether to tow it back to the U.S. or turn it over to another country.
Overnight, U.S. forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the stateless sanctioned M/T Tifani without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.⁰⁰As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit… pic.twitter.com/EGwDe3dBI3
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) April 21, 2026
As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran—anywhere they operate. International waters are not a refuge for sanctioned vessels. The Department of War will continue to deny illicit actors and their vessels freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain.
This comes after U.S. forces commandeered an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run the blockade. The vessel had reportedly made stops in China prior to its capture, raising questions about just what cargo it holds.
A U.S. military official said on Monday that the most recent escalation involved the Iranian cargo ship Touska, which was disabled and seized by the Navy in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday after trying to evade the blockade, according to the report.
It marked the first reported attempt by a vessel to run the U.S.-imposed blockade since it took effect last week.
American officials are still deciding what to do with the disabled ship once a search of its cargo is completed, a U.S. military official told the Times on condition of anonymity, to discuss operations.
THEY FOUND OUT: Video of US Boarding Iranian Ship - and the Question of What Might Have Been on It
VIDEO: USS Spruance Lights Up Iranian Blockade Runner in a Formidable Demonstration of FAFO
The Touska had been sanctioned by the Treasury Department in 2020, during President Trump’s first term in office, because officials said the 960-foot-long vessel had ties to Iran’s nuclear weapons programs.
One can only wonder what's keeping what's left of the Iranian regime going, considering that they're getting creamed economically and militarily. Trump's pressure campaign is putting on the hurt, though, and at some point, they're going to run out of money and oil.
Until then, we'll apparently just have to keep meting out the punishment.
Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
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