The U.S. Navy has begun maritime blockade operations to prevent ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports again, following renewed retaliatory attacks between the two sides since last week.
On Tuesday, 14 Jul 2026 GMT+7, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced via a post on the X platform that the U.S. Navy had started a maritime blockade to stop ships from traveling into or out of Iranian ports at 16:00 Eastern Time (ET).
The U.S. military initiated the blockade just one day after President Donald Trump declared that this measure would be reinstated, with the U.S. acting as the “guardian angel” of the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM emphasized the timing of the blockade in its X post just minutes before it took effect, adding that the U.S. was conducting additional military strikes against Iran focused on its military capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz.
“The attacks commenced as American forces prepared to resume maritime blockade measures against Iranian ports and coastal areas,” CENTCOM stated in its post.
On Monday, Trump said the U.S. would impose a 20% fee on commercial cargo ships to offset U.S. costs for providing “security and stability” in the strait.
However, on Tuesday, Trump reversed this decision, citing requests from Arab countries and stating these nations would instead engage in “trade and investment agreements… in the United States.”
Meanwhile, Iran's national news agency IRNA reported three explosions in the city of Bandar Abbas and multiple others near Sirik, a southern Iranian port city on the Strait of Hormuz coast.
The reports did not specify the cause of the explosions, but the timing coincided with U.S. military statements announcing a new wave of airstrikes on Iran prior to reinstating the maritime blockade.
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Source:cnn