Washington, D.C., July 14 (ANI): The United States has announced the resumption of its maritime blockade on Iranian ports beginning 4:00 p.m. ET on July 14, as President Donald Trump declared that Iran’s military capabilities have been largely destroyed and vowed to intensify military operations against Tehran.
The move marks a significant escalation in the ongoing US-Iran conflict, with the blockade targeting vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports while allowing commercial shipping from other nations to continue through the Strait of Hormuz under US protection.
According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), American naval forces will enforce the blockade against vessels transiting to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas. Commercial ships not violating the order will continue to receive safe passage through the strategic waterway.
CENTCOM stated that the renewed operation follows its earlier blockade, which lasted from April 13 to June 18. During that period, US forces redirected more than 140 compliant vessels, disabled nine non-compliant ships, and allowed over 50 humanitarian aid vessels to pass.
Mariners operating in the Gulf of Oman and near the Strait of Hormuz have been instructed to monitor official maritime broadcasts and establish contact with US naval forces on bridge-to-bridge Channel 16. Additional guidance will be issued through formal Notices to Mariners.
The latest action comes after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly closed the Strait of Hormuz, prompting a large-scale US military response that included strikes on approximately 140 targets inside Iran.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, President Trump said Iran’s military had been “demolished” and accused Tehran of abandoning a recently negotiated agreement.
“We’ve demolished their military. We’re hitting them very hard,” Trump said. “We had a deal… then they broke it immediately because they found something they didn’t like.”
Trump added that US forces were continuing attacks aimed at eliminating Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
“In the end, we will end up controlling the whole thing,” he said, while also alleging that Iran’s government had killed more than 52,000 protesters, although no independent evidence was provided to support that figure.
The President also addressed reports suggesting Iran may have positioned drones in Cuba, saying US intelligence agencies were investigating the claims and that Washington would prevent any operational deployment if confirmed.
Meanwhile, CENTCOM announced that it had launched its third consecutive night of military strikes against Iranian targets. The command said the operations are intended to degrade Iran’s capability to attack civilian shipping and regional maritime traffic.
President Trump also announced that he will deliver a national address on Thursday, July 16, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, outlining the administration’s next steps in the conflict.
Earlier, Trump announced that the United States would impose a 20 percent fee on cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as reimbursement for the cost of protecting one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes.
“The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran,” Trump wrote on social media. “The U.S.A. will be known as the ‘Guardian of the Hormuz Strait.'”
Iran strongly rejected both the blockade and the proposed transit fee.
Brigadier General Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, declared that Tehran would not permit US interference in managing the Strait of Hormuz and warned of retaliation against any military action involving commercial vessels operating outside Iran’s designated shipping routes.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also dismissed Trump’s proposal, asserting that Iran—not the United States—has historically safeguarded the strategic waterway.
In a separate interview with Fox News, Trump claimed that Iran’s military leadership had been effectively eliminated.
“They have no navy. They have no air force. It’s all gone,” Trump said.
He further alleged that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is “90% gone,” suggesting he had been seriously wounded during recent military operations. Trump also claimed that Iran’s senior commanders had been killed and that the country’s leadership structure had been severely weakened.
The renewed military operations, maritime blockade, and increasingly sharp rhetoric from both Washington and Tehran have significantly heightened tensions in the Gulf, raising concerns about the security of one of the world’s most critical energy shipping corridors. (ANI)
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