AP and CBS report the U.S. began blocking ships tied to Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz on April 13, with Trump warning Iranian fast-attack craft to stay away or be eliminated.
The United States has moved ahead with a blockade tied to Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz, according to AP and CBS News, and President Trump is warning Iranian ships to stay away.
AP and CBS reported that the blockade began on April 13, after days of rising maritime tension in the region. CBS said live updates showed the U.S. military blockade on Iranian ports in the strait had started, while AP said the U.S. military would begin blocking ships entering or leaving the strategic waterway.
Trump then escalated the message further, saying Iranian fast-attack ships coming near the blockade would be "immediately eliminated," according to AP's reporting.
The move follows earlier U.S. statements laying groundwork for maritime control in the area. On April 11, CENTCOM said U.S. forces had begun mine-clearance operations in the Strait of Hormuz. On April 8, the White House said Iran had agreed to a ceasefire and reopening of the strait.
The latest reports leave several questions unanswered, including the exact legal authority for the blockade, how fully it is being enforced, and whether shipping through the strait has been halted or only partially disrupted.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important energy chokepoints, so any sustained disruption could quickly ripple through global markets and regional security calculations. The next major signal will likely come from whether independent shipping trackers confirm the scale of the stoppage and how Iran responds.
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