"First 24 Hours at Zero"... U.S. Demonstrates Effectiveness of Hormuz Blockade

According to The Financial News, the United States has completely blocked Iranian vessels from passing through the Strait of Hormuz during the first 24 hours of its new maritime blockade. However, some foreign media have reported that a few ships slipped through, fueling debate over how effective the blockade really is.
United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) said on the 14th (local time) in an official statement that "not a single Iranian vessel has managed to pass through in the 24 hours since the blockade began." Through X (social network), USCENTCOM explained, "More than 10,000 U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force personnel, over 12 warships, and dozens of aircraft have been deployed to control vessels entering and leaving Iranian ports."
In the course of the operation, some ships changed course under U.S. military control. USCENTCOM reported that "six merchant vessels turned back to Iranian ports within the Gulf of Oman in accordance with U.S. military instructions."
The blockade is particularly stringent because it targets all Iranian ports rather than specific ships. USCENTCOM stated, "It applies uniformly to all vessels entering or departing Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman," stressing that "it is enforced equally on ships of all nationalities." It added that freedom of navigation is being maintained for vessels departing from ports outside Iran.
The United States formally launched the maritime blockade centered on the Strait of Hormuz at 10 a.m. Eastern Time on the 13th. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint through which about 20% of the world’s crude oil and gas shipments pass. If the blockade continues for an extended period, it is expected to have a significant impact on global energy supplies and the broader logistics market.
Questions are nonetheless being raised about how airtight the blockade is. Some U.S. media have reported cases of ships that left Iranian ports just before or shortly after the blockade and then passed through the strait, contradicting the U.S. military’s account. The New York Times (NYT), citing data from shipping analytics firm Kpler, reported that "the Republic of Liberia-flagged cargo ship Christiana departed from Iran’s Bandar Imam Khomeini Port and exited the strait on the night of the 13th."

km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter