American forces have issued a stark warning to vessels in the Strait of Hormuz to “prepare to be boarded” as the US military enforces Donald Trump’s naval blockade of Iranian ports.
US Central Command released audio of the warning on Wednesday, even as Trump claimed he was “permanently opening” the strait following secret talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
“The US has announced a formal blockade of Iranian ports in coastal areas,” a military officer says in the recording.
“This is a legal action. All vessels are advised to immediately return to port if leaving, and discontinue transit to Iran if that is your next port of call, do not attempt to breach the blockade.”
The officer warned that any vessel breaching the blockade “will be boarded for interdiction and seizure” and that “we will use force.”
Trump’s contradiction
The US military’s warning appears to sit in direct conflict with Trump’s post on Truth Social, in which he claimed the strait was “permanently open” after reaching an agreement with Xi to stop China arming Iran.
“China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote. “I am doing it for them, also – And the World. This situation will never happen again.”
A senior White House official told the Daily Mail that despite Trump’s remarks, “the blockade is fully in effect and working.” It remains unclear whether the President was declaring the strait immediately open to shipping or signalling his intent to reach a permanent resolution as peace talks with Iran continue.
How the blockade began
Peace talks with Tehran collapsed over the weekend, prompting Trump to impose a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz — a critical oil chokepoint through which one-fifth of the world’s supply passes — in a bid to force Iran back to the negotiating table. The President is said to be reluctant to resume the bombing campaign that has already thrown the Middle East into chaos.
Iran hit back at the start of Operation Epic Fury by flooding the strait with swarms of explosive speedboats, drones and naval mines. The regime has also sought to impose unofficial tolls on passing oil tankers, allowing favoured partners such as China and India to transit more freely while bearing down on Western vessels.
China condemns blockade
Beijing, the world’s largest importer of Iranian oil, has reacted with fury. Xi Jinping branded Trump’s decision “dangerous and irresponsible” and warned against reverting to “the law of the jungle.”
Since the blockade came into force, vessels in the Gulf have begun adopting evasion tactics to avoid detection by US forces, according to the New York Times.
“Now, we are starting to see vessels going dark or using ‘zombie’ or random identification,” maritime intelligence analyst Ami Daniel told the paper.
Ships linked to Iran have begun manipulating the global maritime surveillance system as they move in and out of Iranian ports, the report notes.
On Tuesday, US forces blocked six oil tankers from passing through the strait. The Pentagon is meanwhile preparing to deploy a further 6,000 troops to the region aboard the USS George HW Bush and several accompanying warships.