Azernews.Az

Qabil Ashirov

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The United States has intercepted nearly 30 vessels during the enforcement of its maritime blockade against Iran, according to a statement released by U.S. Central Command on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, AzerNEWS reports.

The statement noted that U.S. forces stopped a total of 31 ships as part of blockade operations, redirecting them back to their ports of origin. The move underscores Washington’s continued efforts to restrict maritime activity linked to Iran amid escalating regional tensions.

The blockade comes against the backdrop of a prolonged standoff between the United States and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program, which has so far failed to yield concrete diplomatic outcomes. On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a series of airstrikes targeting Iranian positions. In response, Iran initiated retaliatory attacks, firing missiles and deploying unmanned aerial vehicles against Israeli targets as well as U.S. assets in the region.

Following weeks of heightened confrontation, a temporary de-escalation was brokered on April 7 through mediation by Pakistan, resulting in a two-week ceasefire agreement between the parties.

On April 21, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the extension of the ceasefire, stating it would remain in place until Iran presents a formal proposal and negotiations reach a definitive conclusion. Despite the extension, Washington has opted to maintain the maritime blockade, signaling sustained pressure on Tehran as diplomatic efforts continue.