New Delhi, Washington, Apr 13 (UNI) The US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces will begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports at 10 a.m. Eastern Time (8:30 PM Indian Standard Time) ”in accordance with the President’s (Trump’s) proclamation,” the CENTCOM announced on Monday.
The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
CENTCOM said in a statement that its forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.
Additional information will be provided to commercial mariners through a formal notice prior to the start of the blockade.
It advised all mariners to 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.
Trump had announced US Navy will start blockading, ”effective immediately,” Iranian ports after talks with Iran in Islamabad on Saturday failed.
CENTCOM forces also began setting conditions for clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as two US Navy guided-missile destroyers conducted operations.
CENTCOM said USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy transited the Strait of Hormuz and operated in the Arabian Gulf as part of a broader mission to ensure the Strait is fully clear of sea mines laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
“Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM.
Additional US forces, including underwater drones, will join the clearance effort in the coming days, CENTCOM said.
