US Central Command says it redirected 19 ships in Strait of Hormuz in one day

WASHINGTON, United States — BAGHDAD — US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Monday its forces redirected 17 ships, stopped two and contacted another two in the Strait of Hormuz as part of maritime traffic monitoring in the waterway. In a written statement, the command said the operations were carried out under its surveillance of shipping passing through the strait. The same day, US President Donald Trump said military operations against Iran had been paused at the request of mediating countries. In an interview with Israel's Channel 12, Trump said Washington was holding "deep talks" with Iran and would return to a broader military operation if negotiations failed. Trump added that he would not give the talks much time and stressed that inspection activity in the Strait of Hormuz was being conducted in parallel with the diplomatic track. No further details on the mediating countries or the status of the talks were immediately provided.