US military says it has lifted naval blockade of Iranian ports

CENTCOM says that all blockade enforcement efforts ‘have ceased’ but that US forces will remain in the area.

The United States military says that it has lifted its naval blockade of Iranian ports, part of an agreement between the US and Iran suspending military operations during a period of negotiations.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Thursday that all US blockade efforts have ceased but that its forces will remain in the area to ensure compliance with the agreement.

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“Today, US forces lifted the blockade on all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, in accordance with the President’s direction. American forces are not impeding the transit of vessels to or from Iranian ports. All US military blockade enforcement efforts have ceased,” CENTCOM, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, said in a social media post.

“Our great Naval Ships will remain in the general area to make sure that all aspects of the agreement are adhered to, obeyed and in full force and effect.”

Vice President JD Vance stated earlier in the day during a White House press briefing that 12.5 million barrels of oil had passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday as the US Navy permitted “north of a dozen ships” through the US blockade.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said in a statement on Thursday that the country’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority would facilitate the speedy authorisation of ships seeking to pass through the strait and that measures would be taken to clear mines laid in the waterway during the war.

Iranian state TV quoted the statement saying that “no fees whatsoever” would be collected during a 60-day negotiation period, but that ships hoping to pass through the strait “must submit their request” to a new government body.

Traffic through the narrow waterway that serves as a crucial transit hub for global supplies of oil and gas slowed to a halt during the US-Israel war on Iran, snarling energy markets and threatening to sow chaos through the global economy.

The fragile agreement suspending fighting could still face numerous obstacles, including Israel’s continued occupation of southern Lebanon, Iran’s nuclear programme, and the future status of the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has said it plans to charge usage fees.

The administration of US President Donald Trump defended concessions to Iran outlined in a memorandum of understanding signed by both countries, including possible economic relief to help the country recover from the war.

“I think that when people get to understand not just the agreement, [but] our negotiating posture as a country, they will realise this is an excellent thing for the American people,” Vance said on Thursday, defending the agreement from domestic critics.