The US Navy has begun allowing commercial vessels to pass through to Iranian ports, effectively ending a naval blockade that choked off one of the world’s most critical shipping corridors for more than two months.
More than a dozen ships have already made the passage under a US-Iran agreement, marking the most significant de-escalation between Washington and Tehran since hostilities ramped up in April.
What the blockade looked like
The blockade began on April 13, 2026, enforced by US Central Command with over 10,000 personnel, warships, and aircraft deployed to control access to Iranian ports. Think of it as a military-grade toll booth on the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply flows on any given day.
By late May, US operations had redirected or disabled around 94 commercial vessels attempting to enter or leave Iranian ports.
