United States Enforces Naval Blockade of All Iranian Ports and Warns Ships of Inspections
A United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations advisory dated 28 October says the United States is enforcing a blockade of all Iranian ports and coastlines, covering vessels of every nationality.
The United States is enforcing a blockade of all Iranian ports and coastlines, according to a maritime advisory dated 28 October and shared by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The advisory states that the blockade applies to vessels of all nationalities, regardless of who owns them.
Ships travelling between neutral ports in the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz may be questioned, boarded and inspected by US forces, who want to verify where the vessels are headed. Crews were advised to keep their shipping documents ready for inspection and to allow extra transit time because of heavier traffic and blockade enforcement operations.
The blockade is not new. The United States first imposed it on 13 April 2026 after the Islamabad Talks, moderated by Pakistan, failed to end the war. It was lifted under a memorandum signed on 17 June, and then reinstated on 14 July after the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran collapsed.
The situation has been described by The Guardian as a "dual blockade": the US Navy blockading Iran, and Iran restricting traffic through the Gulf. Earlier in the blockade, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said American forces would keep it in place for as long as it takes, while Iran called ship seizures piracy.