U.S. Central Command said Thursday evening that the naval blockade on all traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas has been formally removed. According to the announcement, American forces are no longer stopping vessels moving to or from Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM said U.S. ships will remain in the region to ensure the agreement is being implemented. The move ends the blockade the command began enforcing after President Donald Trump, during negotiations with Iran about two months ago, wrote on TRUTH that Iran was unwilling to give up its nuclear ambitions and that the United States would impose a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.
The earlier restrictions were applied evenly to vessels of all nationalities entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal zones. They covered all Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. In guidance issued to mariners, CENTCOM said any ship entering or leaving the restricted area without authorization would be subject to seizure, diversion, and capture.
The U.S. military also said neutral vessels could be searched, but stressed that the blockade would not affect the innocent passage of neutral ships through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations.
