Washington DC (US), September 21, 2026, BNN Web Staff : US forces have redirected 109 commercial vessels as Washington continues enforcing a maritime blockade on Iran, according to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), amid a sharp decline in shipping through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM said the figure, recorded as of September 20, represents commercial vessels redirected to comply with the US maritime blockade.
The US military resumed enforcement of the blockade on July 14, covering vessels travelling to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas. CENTCOM has said ships that do not violate the blockade continue to receive support while transiting regional waters.
The Strait of Hormuz has become a major flashpoint in the confrontation between Washington and Tehran. The waterway is a key route for international energy shipments, but commercial traffic has dropped significantly during the ongoing conflict. Reuters reported that only about a dozen commodity vessels were recorded passing through the strait over the weekend, compared with 35 the previous weekend. Before the conflict, the waterway typically handled around 125 large vessels a day.
US-Iran tensions remain high
The latest maritime development comes as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to escalate.
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Washington could take further significant action against Tehran if Iran did not change its approach to the conflict. He also indicated that he could be open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Iran, meanwhile, has said it has conveyed conditions for ending the conflict through Qatar. Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei said the demands include an end to hostilities, the release of frozen Iranian funds and an end to the US naval blockade.
Iran has also said it will not restore normal passage through the Strait of Hormuz or return to its previous negotiating framework with Washington until its conditions are met.
Shipping disruption widens
The confrontation is also affecting regional maritime traffic beyond the immediate US-Iran standoff.
Yemen’s Houthi movement has carried out missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, including an attack directed at Riyadh that Saudi authorities said was intercepted. The developments have added another layer of uncertainty for shipping routes across the region.
With traffic through the Strait of Hormuz substantially below normal levels, disruptions to the waterway are being closely watched because of its importance to global oil and gas trade.
