US Has Turned Around 27 Ships at Strait of Hormuz Since Blockade

Iran said on Saturday that it was tightening control over the critical energy waterway, warning mariners that it was effectively closed again.

Tankers anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, on April 18, 2026. Asghar Besharati/AP Photo

The United States has rejected 27 vessels around the Strait of Hormuz since beginning its blockade in the Gulf of Oman in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Central Command said on April 20.

The military said in an X post that it had ordered the ships to turn around and return to Iranian ports. The blockade, which began on April 13, comes as the United States and Iran have been meeting, with Pakistan acting as an intermediary.