US steps up Iran naval blockade, redirects 12 ships, boards two tankers and disables two

The United States has intensified enforcement of its naval blockade against Iran, with US Central Command (CENTCOM) announcing that American forces have redirected 12 commercial vessels, boarded two tankers and disabled two ships that allegedly ignored repeated warnings while attempting to reach Iran.

The latest operations included the boarding of the Comoros-flagged oil tanker M/T Charminar in the Arabian Sea and the disabling of the Mozambique-flagged M/T Lavine in the Gulf of Oman, according to CENTCOM.