On December 15, 2025, the U.S. Navy released a video showing a warship broadcasting a formal blockade notice on Channel 16, advising all maritime traffic to avoid Iranian ports and coastal areas, threatening force if vessels do not comply.
U.S. Central Command announced that since the start of the maritime blockade of Iran, it has prevented 27 Iranian ships from passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iraqi militants supported by the Islamic Republic have launched hundreds of explosive drones at Saudi Arabia and Kuwait over the past five weeks. Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, are reportedly considering strikes against Iranian-backed proxies in Iraq.
On April 21, 2026, the Deputy Governor of Hormozgan announced the completion of an operation to neutralize and conduct a controlled explosion of unexploded projectiles in Bandar Abbas. The IRGC also reported that controlled explosions were heard in the Soffeh area of Isfahan and will continue into the afternoon.
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains restricted, with only 12 ships passing through in the past 24 hours, according to NBC News and MarineTraffic data. Four of these ships were flagged by the Islamic Republic, and most navigated through the route near Bandar Abbas approved by the Islamic Republic.
CENTCOM releases video of a U.S. Navy warship broadcasting a formal blockade notice to all maritime traffic on Channel 16, the international hailing frequency used by every ship at sea: "The U.S. has announced a formal blockade of Iranian ports and coastal areas. This is a legal Show more
