WASHINGTON: US Central Command says American forces have redirected 115 commercial vessels while enforcing Washington’s naval blockade against Iran, providing its latest count of shipping affected by the operation.
CENTCOM said the figure covered vessels redirected as of September 23 under the blockade.
The number is a US military claim and has not been independently verified by Pakistan Report. It refers to commercial vessels that CENTCOM says were redirected, not to ships seized, captured or destroyed.
The US has said its blockade targets maritime traffic linked to Iranian ports and coastal areas while allowing other commercial movement in regional waters.
Blockade remains central to Iran dispute
The naval blockade has become one of the main points of disagreement in diplomatic contacts between Washington and Tehran.
Iranian officials have made lifting the blockade a priority in proposals aimed at ending the conflict and restoring normal navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran has also linked conditions around Hormuz to the wider negotiations, while the United States has continued to enforce its maritime restrictions.
The latest CENTCOM figure illustrates the scale at which the blockade is affecting shipping decisions even as separate commercial traffic continues elsewhere in the Gulf.
It also comes as visible vessel movements through Hormuz remain well below normal levels. The strait is a critical route for crude oil, liquefied natural gas and other cargoes moving between Gulf producers and global markets.
Diplomatic contacts in New York have reopened a channel for discussing the blockade and the strait, but no agreement to end the US operation had been announced by Thursday afternoon.