ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Friday that its forces had conducted a “verification boarding” of an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, as Washington continues to enforce its renewed naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions with Tehran.
“U.S. Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit conduct a verification boarding aboard M/T Wen Yao in the Gulf of Oman,” CENTCOM posted on X, noting that its forces “have redirected 3 commercial vessels trying to run the blockade, disabled 1 that didn’t comply, and boarded 1 to ensure full compliance with the ongoing U.S. naval blockade against Iran.”
The latest exchange follows renewed military escalation between the two countries after the US reinstated a naval blockade on vessels transiting Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, following Iran's strikes on Gulf states last week.
CENTCOM conducts verification boardings and inspection operations on cargo to verify compliance before allowing vessels transiting through the Strait as part of its broader strategy to enforce the ongoing naval blockade targeting Iranian ports.
“The Strait of Hormuz and the surrounding waters remain free and open, except for vessels attempting to violate America’s steel wall blockade,” CENTCOM posted.
The command announced late Thursday that its forces had begun conducting airstrikes on Iran for the sixth consecutive night.
Health officials in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province said that the number of people killed in the attack on the Bandar Khamir bridges "has increased to seven," having previously reported lower numbers, adding that "nine people were also injured,” reported Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency.
The outlet added that a "marine control tower" in the southeastern port city of Chabahar located along the Gulf of Oman was also struck "for the third time in days." Mehr noted that the port infrastructure in the region "plays a vital role in managing vessel traffic," adding that no official information has been released "regarding the extent of damage and the potential casualties."
Meanwhile, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters - equivalent to the Iranian military's joint operations command - had vowed on Thursday that attacks by the US on Iran's civilian infrastructure would be met with "crushing blows" to regional infrastructure.
Tehran would "under no circumstance" allow the US, "as a foreign and extra-regional country," to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that "this is Iran's unbreakable red line.”
Of note, CENTCOM had previously lifted its blockade in mid-June after redirecting 142 commercial ships and disabling nine vessels.
The latest tit-for-tat attacks further deepen tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway which sees the transit of roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments. Recent fighting has also raised further uncertainty over the future of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, signed by the two countries in mid-June to halt military operations and resume negotiations.
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