The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Sunday that it will begin a blockade of all Iranian ports at 16:00 Spanish time (17:30 in Iran). "In accordance with the president's announcement, the blockade will be applied impartially against vessels of all nations entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal zones, including all ports in the Persian and Omani Gulfs," CENTCOM stated in a press release. US military forces "will not impede the freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz that are heading to or from ports that are not Iranian," they explained. The US contingent will provide more information to the commanders of affected commercial vessels "before the blockade begins" and urges them to communicate on channel 16 "bridge-to-bridge" when navigating the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz.
