US Central Command says 70 commercial vessels redirected in Iran blockade

The US military said its forces have redirected 70 commercial vessels since imposing a naval blockade on Iran, according to US Central Command. Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn monitored flight operations in the Arabian Sea and carried out the interdiction. As of August 23, US forces had redirected 70 commercial vessels, disabled three others and hailed two ships for compliance inspections, Central Command said. The USS John Finn has been operating in the Arabian Sea as part of the blockade operations. The blockade began in April 2026 after talks in Islamabad aimed at ending a war with Iran that started in February 2026 collapsed without an agreement. No further details were immediately available on the specific vessels involved or their cargo.