Iran Threatens to Block Red Sea if U.S. Naval Blockade Continues

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran escalated its standoff with Washington on Wednesday, warning that it could sever commercial shipping through the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman if the United States keeps up its naval blockade of Iranian ports.

In a statement carried on Iranian state television, the head of Iran’s military central command said the U.S. campaign to stop Iranian commercial vessels and oil tankers could unravel the fragile ceasefire now in place.

Ali Abdollahi, a senior figure in the Iranian military command, said the Islamic Republic’s armed forces would not allow exports or imports to pass through the region’s strategic waterways if the restrictions remain.

The warning came a day after U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had “completely halted” maritime trade to and from Iran. The operation, which began Monday, is targeting all ships entering or leaving Iranian ports.

President Donald Trump ordered the naval action on Sunday after weekend peace talks in Islamabad between U.S. and Iranian officials ended without an agreement. U.S. officials said the blockade is being “enforced impartially” against vessels from all countries seeking to trade with Iran through the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

Tracking data and military accounts suggest the operation is already biting hard. In the first 24 hours, no ships managed to break through the U.S. line, and six vessels reportedly obeyed orders from American naval forces and turned back toward Iranian ports.

Even so, some traffic has continued to move. Roughly 15 ships, including LPG and chemical tankers from China, India, Greece and the United Arab Emirates, crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours. But other vessels that had reached the Gulf of Oman were forced to reverse course.

The U.S. Navy has set its main enforcement line between Gwadar Bay and Ras al Hadd, a vital chokepoint for regional energy shipments and global maritime trade.

AXADLETM