Middle East
US forces lift naval blockade of Iranian ports in Hormuz, CENTCOM says
Stars and Stripes
June 18, 2026
USS Abraham Lincoln conducts U.S. blockade operations in the Arabian Sea, Apr. 16, 2026. Lincoln has been operating inthe Middle East since January, anchoring the U.S. naval prescense in supporting the blockade against Iran as the ceasefire approaches expiration. (U.S. Navy)
U.S. forces on Thursday lifted the naval blockade enforced in the Strait of Hormuz, allowing all maritime traffic to enter and exit Iranian ports, U.S. Central Command said in a post on X.
Naval ships will remain in the area to make sure all aspects of an agreement between the U.S. and Iran are “adhered to, obeyed and in full force and effect,” CENTCOM said.
After months of fighting in the Middle East, an agreement was announced by both countries on Sunday. It includes a 60-day ceasefire and the lifting of the U.S. blockade. Both countries signed a memorandum of understanding of the deal on Wednesday.
The agreement was initially set to be signed in person Friday by Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, in Switzerland, according to the Washington Post.
The U.S. imposed the naval blockade on April 13, one day after Trump said in a Truth Social post that talks with Iran failed to produce a deal.