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A US destroyer intercepted two oil tankers trying to leave Iran on Tuesday, a US official said, as part of the Trump administration's blockade of Iranian ports.
The official told Reuters that the ships left the port of Chabahar in the Gulf of Oman before being contacted by the American warship via radio communication. The official added that the tankers were among six vessels that the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday obeyed orders from US forces to turn around and return to an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman.
“More than 10,000 U.S. sailors, Marines and airmen, along with more than a dozen warships and dozens of aircraft, are executing the mission to blockade ships entering and leaving Iranian ports,” CENTCOM said. “During the first 24 hours, no ships managed to bypass the US blockade and six merchant vessels complied with instructions from US forces to turn around and re-enter an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman.”
“The blockade is being applied impartially against ships of all nations entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman,” he added. “US forces are supporting freedom of navigation for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.”
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U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that “U.S. Navy guided missile destroyers are among assets executing a blockade mission impacting Iranian ports.” (CENTCOM)
The Pentagon did not immediately respond Wednesday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital about the alleged tanker interdiction.
“U.S. Navy guided missile destroyers are among assets executing a blockade mission impacting Iranian ports. The blockade is applied impartially against ships of all nations entering or leaving coastal areas or ports in Iran,” CENTCOM said Tuesday. “A typical destroyer has a crew of more than 300 highly trained sailors to conduct offensive and defensive maritime operations.”
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Cargo ships in the Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz, seen from north of Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with the Musandam government in Oman, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in the United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. (REUTERS/Stringer/File photo/File photo)
CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper added in a statement that “a blockade of Iranian ports has been fully implemented as US forces maintain maritime superiority in the Middle East.”
A satellite image shows the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, vital for global energy supplies. (Amanda Macias/Fox News Digital)
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Cooper said it is estimated that 90% of Iran's economy is supported by international trade by sea.
“In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, US forces have completely stopped economic trade entering and leaving Iran by sea,” he also said.
