Iran War & Ceasefire — 2026-04-13

CENTCOM Announces Naval Blockade of All Iranian Ports Starting Monday

US Central Command announced it will enforce a naval blockade against all maritime traffic entering or exiting Iranian ports beginning at 10:00 ET Monday, covering all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. The blockade will be "enforced impartially against vessels of all nations" but will not impede transit through the Strait of Hormuz to non-Iranian destinations. The announcement followed Trump's declaration that the US Navy would "begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships" in the strait. Ship traffic has already dropped from roughly 130 daily transits to 17 as of Saturday.

Analysis
The blockade distinguishes between Iranian port traffic (blocked) and Hormuz transit to non-Iranian destinations (permitted), a legal and operational nuance that limits escalation risk but invites Iranian testing. With only 17 vessels crossing Saturday versus 130 pre-war, the strait is already functionally closed; the blockade formalizes what Iranian mining and IRGC interdiction largely achieved. The critical unknown is whether Iran will retaliate against the blockade directly or target non-Iranian shipping to collapse the distinction CENTCOM is trying to maintain.

3 sources

U.S. to Blockade Ships Entering or Exiting Iranian Ports - CENTCOM
US forces will begin blockade of Iranian ports on Monday, CENTCOM says - Stars and Stripes
Trump says U.S. will blockade Strait of Hormuz after Iran peace talks fail - CNBC