On Monday morning, after 10 am Eastern Time, The Wall Street Journal quoted a senior U.S. official as saying that the U.S. blockade against Iran has officially been implemented and more than 15 U.S. warships have been deployed to support this action.
According to the report, U.S. Navy and Central Command officials revealed that the U.S. has deployed an aircraft carrier, multiple missile destroyers, an amphibious assault ship, and other warships in the Middle East. These ships are capable of deploying helicopters to support boarding operations, and some also have the capability to guide commercial ships to specific areas and intercept them.
Retired Rear Admiral Kevin Donegan estimated that these warships are likely to operate outside the Strait of Hormuz. “There are many ways to implement this blockade, and a significant number of boarding teams are currently deployed in the region,” Donegan said. “Don’t expect immediate results, this will progress gradually. Blockades take time to have an impact.”
According to the latest information posted on the official account of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on social media X, the USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship without traditional well decks, was conducting nighttime flight missions in the Arabian Sea.
The Tripoli can carry F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters, MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, helicopters, and additional maintenance space. During peak operations, the ship can rapidly deploy, carrying over 20 F-35B fighter jets.
The U.S. Central Command previously announced that physical blockades against all ships entering and leaving Iranian ports would begin at 10 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday. The U.S. stated that ships heading to non-Iranian ports through the Strait of Hormuz will not be blocked.
The latest maritime tracking data shows a significant number of oil tankers and cargo ships are either rerouting or moving away from the strait area. The shipping industry has received formal notification from the U.S. military to have vessels operating in the area monitor bridge-to-bridge channel 16 for further instructions.
Within an hour, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran issued a statement asserting their “complete control” over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran warned that any U.S. or allied military ships approaching the strait would be considered a violation of the ceasefire agreement and would face a “strong response.”
In the past hour, U.S. President Trump (Donald Trump) has made multiple posts on the social media platform, Truth Social, reiterating that Iran will not be allowed to illegally extort ships for port fees, and stating that the U.S. military is “Locked and Loaded.”