US Central Command Says 33 Ships Diverted Since Hormuz Blockade

US Central Command said it has diverted more than 30 vessels so far as Washington moves to halt Iran's rerouted crude exports.

CENTCOM said on April 24 that the US military has diverted 33 ships since the White House imposed a maritime blockade on April 13. A destroyer on April 23 intercepted the Iranian-flagged tanker Doreena off India's west coast after it was found sailing with its tracking signal turned off. Other vessels, including Hero 2 and Hedi, were also detected by US surveillance.

Iranian vessels have tried to evade sanctions through a so-called ghost fleet, using tactics including falsified location signals and ship-to-ship transfers at sea. The bulk carrier Basel, which slipped beyond the monitoring network, was headed for Brazil. Salut Legend was identified as having loaded crude at sea and as sailing toward China.

The US and Iran, meanwhile, have continued to pressure each other without setting a date for a second round of talks. President Donald Trump said Iran had pledged not to use nuclear weapons, while also asserting that Washington had complete control of the Strait of Hormuz and that the waterway would be placed under a full blockade. He added that he had ordered the Navy to sink any vessel laying mines.

The US military is also widening interdiction efforts beyond the Strait of Hormuz. On the night of April 22, it seized the Majestic X in the Indian Ocean while the vessel was transporting Iranian oil. Washington has also strengthened its force posture, deploying the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush to the region and bringing the total number of US aircraft carriers in the Middle East to three.