US Navy redirects 12 vessels, disables two tankers in Iran

The United States military announced on Saturday, July 25, 2026, that its naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in full effect, detailing new enforcement actions in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that American forces have now redirected 12 commercial vessels attempting to bypass the blockade, disabled two vessels for non-compliance, and boarded two others for verification.

The latest actions involved two specific tankers. On Saturday, U.S. forces conducted a verification boarding of the Comoros-flagged MT Charminar in the Arabian Sea, after which the vessel was allowed to continue its journey. Separately, CENTCOM forces disabled the Mozambique-flagged MT Lavine in the Gulf of Oman on July 24. Officials said that ship had attempted to violate the blockade multiple times and ignored repeated warnings, and it is no longer transiting toward Iran.

The enforcement comes amid heightened regional tensions. CENTCOM reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping chokepoint, remains open to commercial traffic with U.S. military support. The command also stated that more than 50,000 U.S. service members are currently operating...