135 ships turned around: US intensifies enforcement of Iran naval blockade

The US military has ramped up the enforcement of its naval blockade of Iranian ports, with four commercial vessels disabled, 135 ships turned around, and 10 tankers linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard destroyed over the past three months as of Sunday (October 11).

Latest strike: M/V Ocean Molica disabled

According to the US Central Command (CentCom), a US fighter jet struck the stern of the Panama‑flagged M/V Ocean Molica (also known as Arika Sun) with a precision munition in the Gulf of Oman, disabling its propulsion without harming the crew.

CentCom said the cargo vessel’s crew had ignored repeated warnings and attempted to run the blockade after previously departing an Iranian port.

Blockade enforcement by the numbers

Since mid‑July, CentCom says US forces have:

• Disabled four commercial vessels attempting to breach the blockade.

• Turned around 135 ships seeking to enter or leave Iranian ports.

• Destroyed 10 tankers linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) “multibillion‑dollar shadow network.”

CentCom says Washington’s blockade has prevented Iran from exporting any oil through the blockade line.

An independent verification of that claim, however, is limited.

Rising attacks and stalled diplomacy

The escalation in enforcement comes as attacks on shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz have surged, with at least a dozen ships attacked in the week ending October 5 — the highest number since the war began.

• UKMTO recently reported a tanker struck by a drone near Sohar Anchorage, and another hit by an unknown projectile near the strait.

• Efforts to end the war through diplomacy, including Iran’s seven‑condition proposal and US responses via Qatari intermediaries, have so far stalled, keeping the blockade and military pressure in place.

What CentCom is telling mariners

CentCom is advising all mariners to heed blockade warnings, monitor Notice to Mariners broadcasts, and contact US naval forces on bridge‑to‑bridge channel 16 when operating in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz approaches.

The US naval blockade was reimposed on July 14, 2026, targeting all ships entering or departing Iranian ports, as part of Washington’s broader campaign to choke off Tehran’s oil exports and pressure the regime.