CENTCOM intercept 70 ships in Strait of Hormuz
Shafaq News- Washington
US forces redirected 70 commercial vessels and disabled four others as part of enforcement measures linked to the US naval blockade on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated on Thursday.
A Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 50 lands on the flight deck of USS Truxtun (DDG 103) as the ship transits the Arabian Sea and supports the U.S. blockade against Iran. As of today, CENTCOM forces have redirected 70 commercial vessels and… pic.twitter.com/rXlP5RlIoW
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 14, 2026
The command also noted that an MH-60 Seahawk helicopter from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 50 landed aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) while the vessel was transiting the Arabian Sea in support of the blockade.
Earlier today, an official from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said that 30 ships had been allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since the night of May 13, while restrictions remained in place on what he described as “hostile vessels.”
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that it had received a report that a vessel had been seized near the UAE coast and taken toward Iranian territorial waters.
Oil prices, meanwhile, declined by midday trading as tension persist in Hormuz. Brent crude futures fell $1.27 to $104.36 per barrel after earlier reaching $107.13, while US West Texas Intermediate crude dropped $1.18, or 1.2%, to $99.84 per barrel.
The escalation followed US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, after which Tehran imposed restrictions on shipping linked to the United States and Israel in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington later responded by enforcing a naval blockade targeting Iranian ports, with US President Donald Trump describing the measure as “more effective than the bombing.”
Read more: Force without a finish line: Iran is losing the war, the US is losing the endgame
