2 oil tankers leaving Iranian ports were interdicted, sent back as CENTCOM says Hormuz blockade ‘fully implemented’

The U.S. military said vessels are being turned back and prevented from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, as it enforces the blockade announced by President Donald Trump on Sunday. 

On Tuesday, two oil tankers attempting to depart Iranian ports were interdicted and ordered to turn around, Reuters reported. The ships had departed from Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman side of the strait, a U.S. official told the outlet. 

U.S. Central Command said that the “blockade is being enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or leaving coastal areas or ports in Iran.” 

U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers are among the assets executing a blockade mission impacting Iranian ports. The blockade is being enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or leaving coastal areas or ports in Iran. A typical destroyer has a crew of more than… pic.twitter.com/tsu4i322r4

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 15, 2026

CENTCOM also posted a statement by commander Admiral Brad Cooper, in which he claimed the U.S. military had achieved “maritime superiority in the Middle East.” 

“A blockade of Iranian ports has been fully implemented as U.S. forces maintain maritime superiority in the Middle East,” Admiral Cooper said. “An estimated 90% of Iran’s economy is fueled by international trade by sea. In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, U.S. forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea.” 

The U.S.-sanctioned, Chinese-owned tanker Rich Starry, was reportedly seen heading back towards the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, after being warned by CENTCOM, Reuters reported. Previous reports had claimed that the vessel was not interdicted by the U.S. 

Meanwhile, eight oil tankers linked to Iran have been intercepted since the blockade was imposed, the Wall Street Journal reported. 

Iranian regime-linked Fars News Agency claimed on Wednesday that a supertanker subject to U.S. sanctions traversed the strait, heading towards the Imam Khomeini port. The report did not identify the ship. 

The New York Times reported that maritime intelligence experts are reporting an increase in evasive shipping behavior around the Strait of Hormuz. Ami Daniel, chief of Windward, a maritime intelligence firm, told the Times that while most large commercial vessels are required to travel with a transponder, which broadcasts the ship’s name, location, and route, “Now, we are starting to see vessels going dark or using ‘zombie’ or random identification.” 

The regime-affiliated Mehr news agency claimed that Iran could use alternative ports further down its southern coastline to bypass the blockade. However, the main southern port outside of the Persian Gulf, Chabahar, is primarily a goods port, and is not connected to Iran’s oil and gas infrastructure. 

However, on Wednesday, Iran's joint military command threatened to disrupt the flow of trade in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Red Sea, if the U.S. blockade continues, in an apparent threat to activate its proxy group in Yemen. 

In a statement broadcast on Iranian state television, Ali Abdollahi, the head of Iran’s military central command center, threatened to halt trade through those waterways. 

“If the US continues its blockade and creates insecurity for Iran's commercial vessels and oil tankers, it will constitute a prelude to violating the ceasefire," Abdollahi said. "The powerful armed forces of the republic will not allow any exports or imports to continue in the Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Red Sea.” 

Meanwhile, despite reports of a possible resumption of peace talks later this week, The Washington Post reported that over 10,000 additional U.S. troops are en route to the Middle East, and are expected to arrive later this month, including the USS George H.W. Bush carrier group. The two-week ceasefire announced by President Trump last week is set to expire on Wednesday, April 22. 

Israeli officials have indicated that the IDF is already preparing for the resumption of hostilities with Iran.