📰 9 sources 13 articles · 9 Oct 2026, 21:17 → 6 days ago

US Naval Blockade on Iran: 133 Ships Redirected and a Cargo Vessel Disabled in the Gulf of Oman

US Central Command announced the redirection of 133 commercial vessels under the naval blockade imposed on Iran, while US officials stressed the blockade's continuation and its transformation into what they called "total isolation." This coincided with the US military disabling a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman and an oil tanker being hit by an unknown projectile while leaving the Strait of Hormuz.

📍 Where things stand: The US naval blockade on Iran continues, with CENTCOM announcing the disabling of a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman and an oil tanker being hit in Hormuz, while US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said a military confrontation with Iran is not expected before the midterm elections.

⏱️ Timeline

9 Oct 2026, 21:17 US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that its forces had redirected 133 commercial vessels as of that day to ensure their compliance with the naval blockade imposed on Iran, noting that the destroyer USS John Paul Jones is supporting the enforcement of the blockade. This followed President Donald Trump's confirmation that 28 million barrels passed through the Strait of Hormuz in a single day with no barrel heading from or to Iran.
9 Oct 2026, 21:30 CENTCOM said it had rerouted 133 commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz since the naval blockade on Iran resumed on July 14, to ensure compliance. The United States had previously rerouted 194 vessels and disabled 9 ships in the first round of the blockade in mid-June. About a fifth of the world's oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which is a key point of contention in negotiations with Iran.
9 Oct 2026, 22:11 US Central Command announced strict measures to enforce the naval blockade on Iran and disclosed the rerouting of 133 commercial vessels since operations began until October 9. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that Washington controls the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran's Revolutionary Guard threatened to expand targeting of vessels it describes as violating. Reports also monitored an attack on a ship near Iraq's Faw port and another in September 28 miles off the Iraqi coast.
10 Oct 2026, 18:03 US President Donald Trump confirmed the continuation of the naval blockade on Iran's southern ports, saying the US Navy "will not allow anyone to pass," and that the war with Iran will end soon. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the Trump administration had turned the "maximum pressure" campaign into a "total isolation" campaign covering communications and sea, air and land transport, with cooperation from the UAE and Oman and talks with Pakistan and Turkey to close land routes.
11 Oct 2026, 04:31 An oil tanker was hit Saturday evening by a projectile of unknown origin while heading out of the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire on board, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations, which said the crew was safe. The incident came hours after Iran's Revolutionary Guard announced that a supertanker exploded after hitting a mine while trying to cross an illegal route in Hormuz. US Central Command said it disabled a cargo ship that tried to breach the blockade.
11 Oct 2026, 05:02 US Central Command announced that a fighter jet disabled a commercial cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman after its crew ignored warnings and tried to breach the naval blockade on Iran, paralyzing its propulsion system without injuries. It said it had disabled four ships and forced 135 vessels to change course over three months, while Secretary of War Pete Hegseth affirmed Washington's control over the Strait of Hormuz. Later brief news reports carried the same news without details on the ship's identity, nationality or cargo.
11 Oct 2026, 08:20 US Central Command announced that a US fighter jet bombed a Panama-flagged commercial cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman after it ignored warnings and tried to breach the naval blockade imposed on Iran, disabling its propulsion without injuries. The UK Maritime Trade Operations also announced that an oil tanker was hit by an unknown projectile while leaving the Strait of Hormuz, with a fire breaking out on board. This coincided with Israeli media reports that Tel Aviv is preparing for the possibility of resuming the war on Iran.
11 Oct 2026, 08:27 US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the disabling of a commercial cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, saying its crew ignored repeated warnings and tried to circumvent the US naval blockade imposed on vessels entering and leaving Iranian ports. It explained that a US fighter jet targeted the aft of the vessel "MV Ocean Molyka," registered in Panama and also known as "Arica Sun," with precision munitions, fully disabling its propulsion system without injuries.
11 Oct 2026, 09:25 The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced it received a report from the master of a commercial tanker that was hit by a projectile of unknown origin while crossing the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire in the engine room with no injuries among the crew. The nature of the projectile, who fired it, the extent of material damage and possible environmental repercussions were not yet known, while the relevant authorities continue to investigate the circumstances of the incident.
11 Oct 2026, 17:57 US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that a military confrontation with Iran is not expected at least before the midterm elections end, considering that the US naval blockade on Iran could last between two and four months. He expected the Iranians would eventually be forced to seek de-escalation or raise the white flag, and spoke of three possible scenarios: a popular uprising, Revolutionary Guard elements turning on each other, or their return to the negotiating table.

Timeline written by AI from the sources below; updated as new reports arrive.

⚠️ Sources disagree

Number of commercial vessels rerouted

133 commercial vessels redirected by US Central Command according to annahar.com
133 commercial vessels rerouted since the blockade resumed on July 14 according to شفق نيوز
135 vessels forced to change course over three months according to جريدة القدس

Figures as each outlet reported them at the time. We do not judge which is correct; numbers often change as events develop.

How the sources covered it

Some sources focused on the blockade figures and US officials' statements about controlling Hormuz and total isolation, while others focused on the maritime incidents and their details, such as the tanker being hit and the cargo ship being disabled, and a third angle highlighted Israeli preparations for a possible resumption of the war on Iran.

annahar.com In its first report it focused on CENTCOM's announcement of redirecting 133 vessels, the role of the destroyer USS John Paul Jones and Trump's statement about 28 million barrels passing, then later dedicated a report to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's remarks on the timing of a military confrontation and the blockade's duration.
شفق نيوز It presented the news from a statistical and timeline angle, linking the figure of 133 vessels to the resumption of the blockade on July 14, adding the first-round figures (194 vessels and 9 disabled ships) and the fact that about a fifth of the world's oil passes through Hormuz.
جريدة القدس It focused on blockade enforcement and official statements, relaying Defense/War Secretary Pete Hegseth's affirmation of Washington's control over Hormuz and the Revolutionary Guard's threat to expand targeting, and in later coverage highlighted details of the air strike on the ship and Israeli preparations to strike Iran.
Iran International It opened with Trump's confirmation of the continued blockade on Iran's southern ports and his remark that the war will end soon, and highlighted the shift from "maximum pressure" to "total isolation" according to Bessent and the talks with Pakistan and Turkey to close land routes.
الجزيرة نت It led with the maritime incidents, starting with the oil tanker being hit by an unknown projectile while leaving Hormuz and the fire on board, citing the UK Maritime Trade Operations, and included the Revolutionary Guard's account of a supertanker exploding after hitting a mine and CENTCOM disabling a cargo ship.
Lebanon Debate It stood out for details identifying the targeted ship, naming it "MV Ocean Molyka," Panama-registered and known as "Arica Sun," and that the aircraft targeted its aft with precision munitions; it also carried the UK Maritime Trade Operations report of the fire in the engine room without injuries.