US forces divert 42 vessels amid Iran blockade, block billions in revenue: CENTCOM

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US forces have redirected dozens of commercial vessels attempting to reach Iranian ports, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, describing the naval blockade as “highly effective” at cutting off billions in Tehran’s oil revenue.

“Today, U.S. forces achieved a significant milestone after successfully redirecting the 42nd commercial vessel attempting to violate the blockade,” CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper was cited as saying in a late Wednesday statement.

He added that the operation reflects “the outstanding work America's sons and daughters in uniform are doing to prevent maritime commerce from entering or exiting Iranian ports.”

According to Cooper, the blockade has also left dozens of oil shipments stranded, dealing a major financial blow to Iran’s leadership. “Right now there are 41 tankers with 69 million barrels of oil that the Iranian regime can't sell. That's an estimated $6 billion-plus from which Iran’s leadership cannot financially benefit,” he said.

“The blockade is highly effective and U.S. forces remain fully committed to total enforcement.”

The latest figures mark an increase from earlier in the week, when CENTCOM reported that American forces had turned back 38 vessels linked to Iranian ports.

The blockade comes amid heightened tensions following a wide-scale US and Israeli air campaign against Iran that began on February 28, targeting more than 17,000 sites across the country over nearly six weeks of hostilities.

Tehran responded with waves of drone and missile attacks across the Middle East, targeting alleged US assets in Gulf Arab states and carrying out retaliatory strikes against Israel.

A Pakistan-mediated ceasefire announced on April 8 temporarily halted the fighting, though diplomatic efforts to secure a lasting agreement have yet to produce concrete results.

Iran has warned it will not return to negotiations unless the US lifts the blockade announced by President Donald Trump on April 13.

Tehran has also tightened restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which more than one-fifth of global energy supplies pass.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that Iran’s oil sector is beginning to feel the pressure as the country’s “creaking oil industry” is starting to shut down. He further warned that fuel shortages could soon follow.

Tehran, however, has signaled potential military retaliation. The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which oversees Iran’s wartime operations, said in a statement on Saturday that if the “aggressor US military continues its siege, banditry, and maritime piracy in the region,” it would face a response from Iran’s armed forces.