US turns back two commercial vessels in first enforcement of Iran blockade near Hormuz
15 July 2026 | 3 months ago
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that in the first enforcement action of its reinstated naval blockade, it "redirected" two commercial vessels attempting to run the blockade of Iranian ports within roughly the first 17 hours after the measure took effect on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. The renewed blockade marks the effective end of the June 17 memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington.
According to tanker-tracking firm TankerTrackers, Iran used its shadow fleet to export about 50 million barrels of crude in June and around 10 million barrels in a single day last week. Washington's earlier blockade, from mid-April to mid-June, curbed much, though not all, of Iran's oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz.
Alongside the continued strikes, the developments pushed oil higher for a third straight session, with Brent trading around 85 dollars a barrel on Wednesday, July 15.
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