US military boards tanker in Arabian Sea as Iran naval blockade continues

The US military said it boarded a tanker in the Arabian Sea on Saturday as part of its naval blockade of Iranian ports, insisting that the operation remains "in full effect".

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces have so far redirected 12 commercial vessels attempting to bypass the blockade, disabled two vessels that failed to comply, and boarded two ships for verification.

"The US naval blockade against Iran remains in full effect," CENTCOM said in a post on X.

Tanker boarded for verification

CENTCOM said US forces carried out a verification boarding of the Comoros-flagged M/T Charminar in the Arabian Sea.

"Earlier today, US forces completed a verification boarding aboard Comoros-flagged M/T Charminar in the Arabian Sea, and the tanker is now continuing its journey," the command said.

Tanker disabled in Gulf of Oman

CENTCOM also released details about a tanker it disabled on Friday, identifying it as the Mozambique-flagged M/T Lavine in the Gulf of Oman.

The command said the vessel had attempted to violate the blockade multiple times and ignored repeated warnings.

"CENTCOM forces disabled Mozambique-flagged M/T Lavine in the Gulf of Oman, July 24, after the crew attempted to violate the blockade multiple times and ignored repeated warnings. The ship is no longer transiting to Iran," it said.

US says forces remain ready for operations

The US military said its forces remain prepared for further action in the region.

"American forces remain highly vigilant, focused, lethal, and ready," CENTCOM said.

The latest announcement comes after the US military said it had completed its 13th consecutive night of strikes against Iran on July 24.

CENTCOM said the strikes targeted Iranian military command centres, drone storage facilities, communication networks, coastal surveillance sites and maritime capabilities, as part of efforts to counter threats to civilian sailors and commercial vessels in the region.

Strait of Hormuz remains open, CENTCOM says

CENTCOM said the Strait of Hormuz remains open to commercial shipping despite recent attacks it attributed to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The command said commercial vessels continued to navigate the strategic waterway with US military support.

It added that more than 50,000 US service members are currently operating across the Middle East as part of ongoing regional operations.

With inputs from IANS