The United States Central Command confirmed on Saturday that its naval blockade of Iran remains in full effect, stating that since its reinstatement, American forces have redirected 12 commercial vessels attempting to reach Iranian ports, disabled two that ignored repeated warnings, and boarded another two for compliance verification. The operation has recently centred on the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman: the Comoros-flagged tanker M/T Charminar was boarded and allowed to proceed after inspection, while the Mozambique-flagged M/T Lavine was disabled on 24 July after its crew made multiple attempts to breach the cordon.

Viewed from Washington, the blockade is presented as a necessary measure to counter what CENTCOM describes as threats from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to civilian sailors and commercial shipping. US officials maintain that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to maritime traffic with American military support, and they underscore that more than 50,000 service members are deployed across the Middle East. In parallel, the White House has signalled interest in a diplomatic off-ramp: US media report that President Donald Trump ordered a pause in the thirteen-day campaign of daily strikes against Iranian military and maritime targets to give diplomacy a chance, though the military is prepared to resume attacks if ordered.

Iranian state-linked media have framed the US actions as a violation of a previous understanding—referred to as the Islamabad agreement—and accuse Washington of resuming both aggressive strikes and the naval blockade. Tehran has publicly stated that its own attacks against US interests will continue until what it calls the enemy’s “complete surrender.” This tension is unfolding against a backdrop of heightened regional alert: Qatar announced it would resume civilian navigation from Sunday after suspending it for more than ten days due to the conflict, while London is preparing to host a meeting of Western defence ministers, including from the US and UK, to discuss a potential international coalition to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

The blockade, which according to Iranian sources was reimposed on 14 July, adds a layer of economic pressure on Iran by restricting the flow of goods to and from its ports. With the US redirecting or disabling vessels, the maritime chokepoint has become a focal point of the confrontation. Diplomatic channels reportedly remain open, with American and Iranian emissaries said to be in contact, but the operational tempo at sea shows no sign of easing. The international gathering in London next week is expected to shape the extent of allied participation in maintaining freedom of navigation through one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.