US Blocked 100 Ships From Iranian Ports, Says CENTCOM

The United States revealed that it had blocked 100 commercial ships from entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas in just over a month, according to a statement by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on May 23.

The blockade, which began on April 13 following a proclamation by President Donald Trump, covered all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

Four of the ships were “disabled” during the period, while troops allowed 26 humanitarian aid ships to pass through.

“Our service members are doing extraordinary work,” CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said in a statement on May 23.

“They have been highly effective by executing the mission with precision and professionalism, allowing zero trade into and out of Iranian ports, which has squeezed Iran economically.”

More than 200 aircraft and warships and 15,000 soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen contributed to rerouting 100 ships during the blockade.

U.S. ships that took part in the blockade included those that were part of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group, and the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group/31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.

The conflict in the Middle East, which started on Feb. 28 when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran that killed dozens of senior leaders in the Iranian regime, has caused instability in the region and heavily disrupted oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested this week that peace talks with Iran were making “slight progress” amid a fragile ceasefire.

Rubio’s optimism came days after Trump warned that negotiations were nearing a decisive moment and that, if an agreement wasn’t reached soon, attacks could resume.

The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial passageway located just south of Iran, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas is transported.

The disruption caused oil and gas prices to surge globally, including in the United States, where the average price for a regular gallon of gas was listed as $2.98 before the war broke out. As of May 23, the average price for a gallon of regular gas is $4.52, according to the American Automobile Association.

The price for a regular gallon of gas is expected to dip as low as $3.88 this year and fall further to $3.62 by 2027, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The agency predicted that the Strait of Hormuz would stay “effectively closed until late May” and that shipping traffic would begin to pick up in June.

But U.S. energy officials don’t expect that regular oil shipments will reach pre-conflict levels until later this year.

Tom Ozimek contributed to this report.