U.S. Begins Naval Blockade of Iran; Trump: Any Boat That Approaches the U.S. Fleet Will Be Destroyed

The U.S. naval blockade of Iran has begun. At 5 p.m. (Monday) the U.S. Navy began enforcing a ban on movement to and from Iranian seaports. From this moment, ships will not be permitted to depart from or arrive at the ports.

Earlier, Iran's Revolutionary Guards issued a warning stating that the naval blockade constitutes a violation of the cease-fire, and that any American ship will be attacked if it prevents the movement of vessels to or from Iran.

In response, toward evening, U.S. President Donald Trump said: "Iran's navy is on the bottom of the sea, completely destroyed — 158 ships. What we didn't hit is the small number of what they call 'fast-attack boats,' because we didn't see them as a significant threat. Warning: If any of those boats even comes near our blockade, they will be destroyed immediately, using the same takedown method we use against drug smugglers on boats at sea. It's quick and brutal. P.S. 98.2% of the drugs entering the United States via the ocean or sea have been stopped!".

Notably, according to Reuters, neutral vessels currently in Iranian ports were given a "limited grace period to depart," and outbound ship traffic from Iran was observed in the morning and afternoon. The naval blockade does not prevent movement of ships sailing to or from Gulf states. Each vessel is inspected, and only if it is a ship bound for Iran will it be ordered to turn back and not be allowed to approach Iran's shores.