CENTCOM says 131 ships changed course in Iran maritime monitoring

BAGHDAD, Iraq — U.S. Central Command said it has disabled six ships and diverted 125 commercial vessels since April 13 as part of maritime monitoring operations against Iran. The command said the measures were carried out to enforce the American naval blockade on Iran. CENTCOM said a U.S. sailor aboard the destroyer USS Rafael Peralta, which was patrolling the Oman Sea, was monitoring a commercial vessel. It said that as of June 3, a total of 125 commercial ships had changed course and six vessels had been stopped. On the same day, the Israel-based Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the United States had told Iranian authorities it would not open the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. President Donald Trump also said Iran had agreed not to have a nuclear weapon and that developments in the Iran file were moving quickly.