US Central Command reports that no ships have exited the Persian Gulf carrying oil since President Donald Trump ordered a blockade on Monday.
“Yesterday, an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel tried to evade the US blockade after leaving Bandar Abbas, exiting the Strait of Hormuz, and transiting along the Iranian coastline. The guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) successfully redirected the vessel, which is heading back to Iran,” CENTCOM posted on X Wednesday. “Ten vessels have now been turned around and ZERO ships have broken through since the start of the US blockade on Monday.”
Yesterday, an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel tried to evade the U.S. blockade after leaving Bandar Abbas, exiting the Strait of Hormuz, and transiting along the Iranian coastline. The guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) successfully redirected the vessel, which is… pic.twitter.com/EUnwhwYiDv
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 15, 2026
On Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social that the US was imposing a total blockade on Gulf oil by preventing any ships from entering or exiting the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM later clarified that the blockade only impacted ships leaving Iranian ports.
After the US and Israel started an unprovoked war against Iran, Tehran seized control of the Strait. Iran has allowed some tankers to exit the Persian Gulf after paying a toll, but has prevented any ships from US-allied nations from transiting the Strait.
Trump imposed the blockade amid a two-week ceasefire with Iran. On Saturday, talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan collapsed. Trump views the blockade as a method to pressure Tehran to comply with his demands.
Iran has threatened to respond to the blockade by shutting down the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Ansar Allah, the group that controls northern Yemen, has been able to close the narrow waterway linking the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. Sanaa has a close relationship with Tehran, and Ansar Allah, or the Houthis, have fired missiles at Israel in response to the war on Iran.
