Thirteen vessels turned back rather than test in practice the U.S. naval blockade aimed at cutting off traffic into and out of Iranian ports, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
Gen. Dan Caine disclosed details of the operation, announced this week by President Donald Trump. He said U.S. forces had not yet had to board or inspect any vessel.
The blockade will be enforced “within Iran’s territorial waters and in international waters,” Caine said. He added that U.S.-led forces in the Pacific would also “actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessels or those attempting to provide material support to Iran.”
Trump ordered the blockade to force Tehran to accept a long-term agreement to end the conflict, which began in late February at the initiative of the United States and Israel. The two-week truce announced last week expires on Tuesday.
At the same briefing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. military was ready to resume hostilities at the president’s first order and urged Iran’s leadership to “make the right choice.”
“We would prefer not to do this, but we are ready to act on the orders of our president—at the push of a button,” Hegseth said. “If Iran makes the wrong choice, it will face a blockade and strikes on infrastructure.”