US Central Command Announces Lifting of Maritime Blockade on Iran

[89246] US Central Command Announces Lifting of Maritime Blockade on Iran

Lifting of the Maritime Blockade on Iran

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) issued an official statement today, June 18, 2026, regarding the lifting of the maritime blockade imposed on maritime traffic in the ports and coastal areas of Iran. According to the Command's statement, the action was carried out in accordance with the order of the President of the United States, with American forces directed to cease any interference with the passage of vessels to and from Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

CENTCOM emphasized that all military operations related to enforcing the blockade have been halted, but added that American warships will continue to remain in the general area "to ensure that all terms of the agreement are met, adhered to, and enforced with full force." The report was widely disseminated by Iranian media outlets, including Iran International, Akharin Khabar, and the state-run news agency IRNA.

Concurrently with reports of the American decision, media outlets affiliated with the regime in Tehran, such as the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) and the Student News Agency (SNN), reported that 11 Iranian vessels, including five oil tankers and cargo ships carrying essential goods, successfully crossed the area that was under the American blockade and are expected to arrive at Iranian ports this evening.

Official sources in Iran noted that the Revolutionary Guards Navy continues to manage passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Despite the reports of the blockade's removal, the exact nature of the "agreement" mentioned in the CENTCOM statement was not fully detailed in available reports, though the media tone in Iran presents the move as a success and an American surrender to their demands.