US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Wednesday that an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel had tried to evade the US naval blockade which has been imposed on the Strait of Hormuz.
According to a statement from CENTCOM, the incident took place on Tuesday. The vessel had left the port of Bandar Abbas, exited the Strait of Hormuz, and was transited along the Iranian coastline. The guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) then successfully redirected the vessel, which is heading back to Iran.
“Ten vessels have now been turned around and ZERO ships have broken through since the start of the US blockade on Monday," said CENTCOM.
CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said on Tuesday night that the blockade has been fully implemented.
"An estimated 90% of Iran's economy is fueled by international trade by sea. In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, US forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea," he added.
The US naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz officially began at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday.
President Donald Trump announced the blockade after delegations from Iran and the United States held extended negotiations in Islamabad on the weekend but failed to produce an agreement.