U.S. Central Command Ends Maritime Blockade on Iran

U.S. Central Command said Thursday evening that American forces have stopped enforcing the military blockade on Iranian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The decision came under a presidential order and shifts the U.S. role in the area from active enforcement to monitoring compliance with a new agreement.

CENTCOM said American forces had lifted the blockade on all sea traffic entering and leaving Iran’s ports and coastal areas, and that U.S. forces are no longer stopping vessels bound to or from Iranian ports in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It added that major Navy ships will remain in the broader region to ensure all parts of the deal are respected.

The move follows new understandings between Washington and Tehran and the implementation of a memorandum of understanding. The maritime enforcement campaign had included delaying and blocking ships along key regional routes. According to U.S. and international estimates cited in the report, the blockade began after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz on February 28, 2026, and cost Iran about $400 million to $500 million a day in direct oil revenue, adding up to billions by May 2026.

The article says oil provides about 25% to 40% of Iranian government revenue, so the blockade caused a 10% to 15% contraction in national GDP, left dozens of tankers stranded, disrupted oil infrastructure, raised inflation, crashed the rial, and hurt hundreds of thousands of jobs in energy and logistics. Those pressures helped accelerate talks that produced the June agreement. The White House earlier released the full 14-point memorandum, which calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, negotiations on a permanent deal within 60 days, U.S. sanctions relief and broad economic easing, and an Iranian pledge not to develop nuclear weapons. The document also includes a $300 billion economic reconstruction plan for Iran, despite U.S. denials, and the next 60-day negotiation phase will begin only after part of Iran’s frozen assets are unfrozen.