Middle East
US forces will begin blockade of Iranian ports on Monday, CENTCOM says
Stars and Stripes
April 12, 2026
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. sails in the Arabian Sea during Operation Epic Fury, March 18, 2026. (U.S. Navy)
U.S. forces will begin blocking all maritime traffic from entering and exiting Iranian ports on Monday, U.S. Central Command announced in an X post Sunday.
The blockade is set to begin at 10 a.m. ET and will be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.”
Additional information will be provided to commercial mariners through a formal notice prior to the start of the blockade, CENTCOM said in the post.
This follows President Donald Trump’s announcement of an immediate naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, sharply escalating the conflict with Iran after talks between the two sides failed to produce a deal.
“CENTCOM forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports,” according to the post.