U.S. Central Command confirmed that the United States will re‑impose a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz at 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, July 14. The measure, announced by President Donald Trump, will restrict vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports and will impose a 20 percent fee on all cargo transiting the waterway, framed as a “protection fee” for safety and security.
The action follows a week of renewed hostilities after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard fired on three commercial ships in the Gulf of Oman. In retaliation, the United States has struck more than 300 targets across Iran, including Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island, while Iran has responded with drone and missile attacks on U.S. bases in the region.
Mariners are urged to follow Notice to Mariners broadcasts and maintain bridge‑to‑bridge contact on channel 16 when operating near the Gulf of Oman and the strait. Additional guidance will be issued in a formal notice. The U.S. naval presence includes the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush carrier strike groups, several destroyers, and the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group carrying over 2,000 Marines.
