Miami (USA).- The U.S. Armed Forces reimposed a naval blockade on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz this Tuesday, in addition to launching a new wave of airstrikes, as announced by the United States Central Command (Centcom).
The organization, based in Florida, stated in a press release that the U.S. Army resumed the blockade against vessels transiting to and from Iran at 4:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time (20:00 GMT), as ordered by President Donald Trump.
“There are currently more than 20 U.S. Navy warships and hundreds of military aircraft operating throughout the Middle East. U.S. forces remain vigilant, lethal, and ready,” stated Centcom.
Tension grows after the end of the agreement
The Central Command also detailed that, an hour earlier, it launched an additional round of strikes against Iran “to continue degrading Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz“.
The attacks occur after the war intensified last week, when Trump declared the end of the framework ceasefire agreement with the Islamic Republic that he signed on June 17, following persistent attacks by Tehran on ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz.
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The president announced on Monday that he would reinstate the naval blockade on Iran and that Washington would seek 20% compensation for protecting ships transiting the strait, although this Tuesday he retracted the charge by announcing that he would replace it “with trade and investment agreements” from the Gulf States in the U.S.
The last seven days of attacks
The conflict has intensified and spread across several countries in the Middle East, in an escalation that began seven days ago with clashes in the Strait of Hormuz and has continued with three nights of bombing over the Islamic Republic and Iran’s response with attacks throughout the region.
Centcom reported on Monday that the U.S. Armed Forces used maritime drones in combat for the first time to attack a maintenance center for submarines and ships at an Iranian port at the Bandar Abbas Naval Base.
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Likewise, he recalled that in the initial implementation of the blockade, from April 13 to June 18, U.S. forces diverted more than 140 vessels, disabled nine ships that disobeyed orders, and allowed the passage of more than 50 commercial ships with humanitarian aid.
