US naval blockade redirects 115 ships near Iranian waters

US Central Command (CENTCOM) redirected 115 commercial vessels as of Wednesday, 23 September, under a renewed naval blockade designed to restrict maritime trade with Iran. The military operation, which Washington refers to as the "steel wall blockade," targets ships travelling to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas. The figure represents vessels diverted by naval forces rather than those seized or destroyed. According to a statement released by CENTCOM on Thursday, 24 September, the blockade aims to isolate Tehran’s economy while theoretically allowing non-Iranian commercial traffic to navigate regional waters. This current enforcement phase began on July 14, following a previous blockade period that ran from April 13 to June 18. Impact on regional shipping The scale of the disruption is significant when compared to earlier operations. CENTCOM confirmed that the first blockade phase resulted in 140 compliant vessels being redirected and nine non-compliant ships being disabled. During that same period, more than 50 vessels carrying humanitarian aid were permitted to pass through the zone. The Straits of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy, remains the focal point of the escalation. Data shows that shipping traffic in the area has already fallen sharply from normal levels. As Hormuz typically handles approximately one-fifth of the world’s daily oil consumption, the continued redirection of tankers directly affects crude prices, insurance premiums, and…