ByYONAH JEREMY BOBJULY 13, 2026 21:52Updated: JULY 13, 2026 21:55CENTCOM on Monday night renewed its counter-blockade on Iran at the Strait of Hormuz following several days of conflict between the US and the Islamic Republic over freedom of travel through the waterway.Tehran had attacked a number of US-allied ships last week.Initially, the US undertook limited targeted counterstrikes at Iranian assets around Hormuz to convince Iran to back down.However, each time the US struck the Islamic regime, Tehran also attacked US bases and allies across the region, from Kuwait to Jordan to Bahrain.Eventually, US President Donald Trump ordered CENTCOM to "resume blockading maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on July 14 at 4 p.m. ET."A projectile is fired during what the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said was a third round of strikes this week against Iran, in this screen grab taken from a handout video released on July 11, 2026. (credit: U.S. Central Command/Handout via REUTERS)CENTCOM redirects 140 ships, disables nine"CENTCOM forces will enforce the blockade against vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas. The US military continues to support traffic flow through regional waters for all vessels not violating the blockade," said the US military.Next, CENTCOM stated that, "The resumption of the US blockade against Iran follows the initial implementation from April 13 to June 18. CENTCOM forces redirected more than 140 compliant vessels, disabled nine non-compliant ships, and allowed over 50 commercial vessels supporting humanitarian aid to pass through the blockade during the two-month period.""All mariners are advised to monitor Notice to Mariners broadcasts and contact US naval forces on bridge-to-bridge channel 16 when operating in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz approaches," said CENTCOM.It was unclear whether the reinstituted blockade will lead to a return to open war between the parties, to an extended period of "chicken" in which both sides blockade the other to see which side blinks first from the economic harm they are suffering, or whether both sides will shortly return to negotiations over both fully opening Hormuz and addressing Iran's nuclear weapons program.Follow us on Google