Renewed US naval blockade of Iran goes into effect, says military

Three boys play in the shallow waters of the Strait of Hormuz, as a plume of smoke rises from an explosion in the background, off Bandar Abbas, Iran, July 13, 2026. (Razieh Poudat/ISNA via AP)
Three boys play in the shallow waters of the Strait of Hormuz, as a plume of smoke rises from an explosion in the background, off Bandar Abbas, Iran, July 13, 2026. (Razieh Poudat/ISNA via AP)

The US military says it has reimposed its blockade of Iranian ports in response to Iran’s attacks on commercial ships on the Strait of Hormuz, as the interim ceasefire deal unravels and concerns grow about a return to all-out war.

The US first imposed the blockade in mid-April and then lifted it in mid-June, a day after the signing of the interim deal aimed at permanently ending the war. The deal set a 60-day timeline to also negotiate an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program, but talks have stalled as fighting over the strait has intensified and both Washington and Tehran have indicated that they view the MOU signed last month as no longer binding.

The US military said yesterday that it will “resume blockading maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on July 14 at 4 p.m. ET.”

CENTCOM said it will “enforce the blockade against vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas” while enabling other ships to freely transit through the area.

Iran reported fresh strikes tonight on its Gulf island of Qeshm in the strategic Strait of Hormuz waterway, after Iran hit two ships in Omani waters in the strait, killing a crew member, and also struck sites in several Gulf countries.

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