U.S. Blockade of Strait of Hormuz: 2 Ships Disabled and 53 Turned Away

As of August 8, less than a month after the United States resumed its maritime blockade of Iran, U.S. forces had turned away 53 commercial vessels, disabled two and boarded two others.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said this in a statement.

CENTCOM said it had also allowed more than 30 vessels carrying humanitarian aid to pass through the blockade.

The United States announced the resumption of the blockade on July 13, 2026, citing Iran’s failure to comply with the ceasefire and its renewed attacks on cargo ships and tankers transiting the strait.

The blockade applies to vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports or carrying Iran-linked cargo. At the same time, the United States does not officially block transit through the Strait of Hormuz to ports in other countries.

In late June, Iran attacked a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since signing a peace agreement with the United States.

On July 6, Iranian forces launched missile strikes against commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, hitting at least two tankers. On July 8, Trump said at the NATO summit that the ceasefire with Iran was no longer in effect.

That same day, CENTCOM said it had carried out “precision strikes” against Iranian air defense systems, command-and-control posts, coastal radar stations, anti-ship missile systems and vessels operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in and near the Strait of Hormuz.

The IRGC, in turn, claimed that Iranian naval forces and aircraft had attacked 85 U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait.

The previous blockade lasted from April 13 to June 18, 2026. During that period, U.S. forces turned away more than 140 vessels, disabled nine and allowed more than 50 vessels carrying humanitarian cargo to pass.

According to U.S. officials, the United States will lift the blockade of Iranian ports once an agreement is announced to restore unrestricted commercial shipping.

“There ​is progress between Oman ​and Iran on the Strait, and ‌we ⁠expect a deal soon. Once the deal is announced to restore commercial ​shipping ​without ⁠impediments, the United States will lift the blockade ​of Iranian ports,” a U.S. official told Reuters.