U.S. military says forces “ready to ensure compliance” of blockade

U.S. forces are “ready to ensure compliance” of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports as American naval vessels remain on patrol in the Gulf of Oman, U.S. Central Command said Wednesday.

CENTCOM shared an audio recording in a post on X warning that any vessels that try to breach the blockade by transiting to or from an Iranian port “will be boarded for interdiction and seizure.”

“If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force,” the recording says. “The whole of the United States Navy is ready to enforce compliance.”

The blockade has been in place for more than two days as Washington pressures Tehran to relinquish control of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for shipments of oil, fertilizer and other vital commodities.