US forces board a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman to verify compliance with the maritime blockade on Iran

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Thursday that it boarded a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman to verify its compliance with the U.S. embargo on Iranian ports.

In a statement, CENTCOM said that U.S. Marine soldiers boarded and inspected the tanker “Wen Yao” in the Gulf of Oman to ensure its adherence to the sanctions imposed on Iran.

The statement added that U.S. forces diverted the course of three commercial ships that attempted to breach the embargo, disrupted a vessel that failed to comply, and inspected another ship to ensure full compliance with the U.S. naval embargo.

The statement affirmed that the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters remain open to ships, except for those attempting to violate the U.S. naval embargo on Iranian ports.

Earlier on Thursday, CENTCOM announced the start of a new wave of strikes against Iran in response to the targeting of commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz.