The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has officially announced a full-scale naval blockade of the Islamic Republic of Iran, marking the conflict's transition to a phase of all-out economic and military pressure. According to an official statement from the U.S. command, the new, stringent restrictions will take effect today, April 13, at 17:00 PM local time. The blockade will affect all maritime traffic heading to or leaving Iranian ports. The U.S. military emphasized that these measures apply to vessels of all nations, effectively cutting Iran off from key maritime trade routes. The restrictions encompass all of the country's port facilities, located in both the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, jeopardizing all of Tehran's export and import operations.

The decision to impose a blockade is a logical continuation of Washington's policy of isolating the Iranian regime following the collapse of recent diplomatic talks. The CENTCOM statement specifically emphasized that the United States intends to strictly suppress any attempts to violate the established regime. At the same time, the American side made an important clarification regarding navigation in the region: freedom of navigation through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz is officially maintained, but only for commercial and military vessels bound for ports in other countries in the region that have no ties to Iran. Thus, the United States is attempting to minimize damage to its Persian Gulf allies while simultaneously creating a complete exclusion zone around the Iranian coast.