Iran US Israel War LIVE Updates: US destroyer instructs two oil tankers from Chabahar to reverse course under Trump’s new blockade, aimed at pressuring Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and agree to US ceasefire conditions.
The vessels had departed from Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman and were contacted by the warship through radio communication, the official indicated. It remains uncertain if any additional warnings were issued.
This revelation provides more insight into the beginnings of Trump’s blockade, which seeks to pressure Iran to lift its effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage for roughly 20% of the global oil supply.
Trump intends for the blockade to compel Iran to accept the US’s conditions for resolving a conflict initiated by the US and Israel on February 28, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. He states that compliance is also a prerequisite for a ceasefire agreement with Iran that is set to expire next week.
The US official confirmed that the two tankers are part of six merchant vessels that the US Central Command mentioned in a statement earlier on Tuesday, which had been ordered to “turn around to re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman.”
