Click to see full-size image. (U.S. Central Command)
The United States military said on April 14 that more than 10,000 troops, a dozen warships, and dozens of aircraft are carrying out a naval blockade on Iran.
“More than 10,000 U.S. Sailors, Marines, and Airmen along with over a dozen warships and dozens of aircraft are executing the mission to blockade ships entering and departing Iranian ports,” the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.
In the first 24 hours of the blockade, “no ships made it past the U.S. blockade and 6 merchant vessels complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman,” the command added.
“The blockade is being enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman,” it continued.
CENTCOM noted that its forces are “supporting freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.”
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the blockade following the breakdown of recent talks in Pakistan to end the war with Iran.
While the U.S. framed the blockade as a response to Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz, vessels have been passing through the strategic waterway — a chokepoint for around 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal on April 14 that more than 20 commercial ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours
Despite recent escalation, U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran talks could resume in Pakistan over the next two days.
“You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we’re more inclined to go there,” Trump said in an interview with The New York Post.
Trump added that Pakistan’s Army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is doing a “great job” in pushing forward the talks.
“He’s fantastic, and therefore it’s more likely that we go back there,” Trump said.
Earlier, Trump had given a contradicting message to the Post, saying that talks with Iran were progressing slowly and that if a meeting was to happen, it would likely not be in Pakistan.
“Things are happening, but a little bit slow… I don’t think it’ll be [in Pakistan] that we have our meeting. We’ll probably go to another location. We have another location in mind.”
All in all, it is clear that diplomatic efforts are still ongoing. A new round of talks will likely take place soon. However, if no agreement is reached, more escalation is to be expected, especially considering that the ceasefire is nearing its end. The U.S. military continues to deploy forces near Iran.
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sorry to say this but i can’t wait for washington to push iran (or china?) to the point where an aircraft carrier catches a missile/s or drone/s and sinks. i think i’ll open a bottle of something and celebrate.
iran is 🫕