US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said on Wednesday that US forces successfully redirected 42 commercial vessels attempting to breach the maritime blockade on Iran.
"Today, US forces achieved a significant milestone after successfully redirecting the 42nd commercial vessel attempting to violate the blockade. This is a reflection of the outstanding work America's sons and daughters in uniform are doing to prevent maritime commerce from entering or exiting Iranian ports," Cooper said in a statement.
“Right now there are 41 tankers with 69 million barrels of oil that the Iranian regime can't sell. That's an estimated $6 billion-plus from which Iran's leadership cannot financially benefit. The blockade is highly effective and US forces remain fully committed to total enforcement," he added.
On Tuesday, CENTCOM announced that the US military seized a commercial vessel in the Arabian Sea that was suspected of traveling to Iran.
The operation involved Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarding the M/V Blue Star III. The temporary seizure occurred as the US maintains its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
The US naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz officially began in mid-April. President Donald Trump announced the blockade after delegations from Iran and the United States held extended negotiations in Islamabad but failed to produce an agreement.
On Wednesday, Trump rejected Iran’s most recent proposal to end the war, telling Axios that he intends to maintain a naval blockade on Iran until Tehran agrees to terms addressing American concerns over its nuclear program.
Trump indicated that, at present, he views the blockade as a more effective tool than direct military action, telling Axios, "The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing."
Last week, CENTCOM seized an Iranian ship, the M/V Touska, which attempted to violate the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine later stated during a Pentagon briefing that the Touska and two other seized ships - the M/T Tifani and M/T Majestic X - remain under American custody.