[2 Iranian oil tankers fail to break through U.S. naval blockade]

Blocking Iran—U.S. military acts swiftly. U.S. military officials stated that within the first 24 hours of the embargo's implementation, they successfully intercepted six vessels departing from Iranian ports, including one U.S. destroyer that directly intercepted two oil tankers attempting to leave Iran, ordering them to turn back.

An anonymous official told Reuters: These two tankers set sail from Chabahar Port in southeastern Iran on April 14, but were detected by U.S. forces. Subsequently, a U.S. destroyer used radio communication to demand they turn around, forcing these commercial ships to return to Iranian ports. Other merchant vessels departing Iran experienced the same fate—after being warned by U.S. warships, they too were compelled to turn back.

The U.S. military said this blockade operation is massive in scale, involving over 10,000 U.S. troops, more than a dozen warships, and dozens of aircraft. The underlying intent behind Trump’s blockade initiative is straightforward: if other countries’ vessels cannot pass through the Strait of Hormuz due to Iranian disruptions, then vessels linked to Iran should not expect to depart either. Ships paying "toll fees" to Iran are especially prohibited from sailing. The ultimate goal is to cut off Iran’s financial lifeline and force it to capitulate on multiple issues.

U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal: Currently, the U.S. military primarily conducts interceptions via communication directives, with Navy vessels and maritime patrol aircraft jointly carrying out surveillance. As soon as any vessel linked to Iran is spotted at sea, it is immediately intercepted.

As for whether the U.S. can fully blockade Iranian ports, there is actually no operational difficulty. The reason is simple: as the U.S. continues intercepting multiple Iranian oil tankers, the "deterrent effect" will discourage other ships from attempting to sail.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862529889846275/

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