The United States military has redirected a total of 44 commercial vessels attempting to navigate through the naval blockade imposed on Iranian ports, according to the latest update from US Central Command (CENTCOM).
The command also confirmed that two additional vessels have been disabled and two others boarded during the ongoing operation.
The rising tally of intercepted ships underscores the intensifying enforcement of the maritime cordon, which has become a persistent source of volatility for global energy markets.
Since the blockade was reimposed, CENTCOM had previously reported redirecting 30 vessels, followed by an earlier count of 20, indicating a steady accumulation of shipping disruptions over recent weeks.
For traders, the continued interference with commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz maintains a structural risk premium on crude oil prices.
The strait remains a critical chokepoint for global energy flows, and any escalation in naval activity or successful breaches by sanctioned vessels can trigger sharp repricing in Brent and WTI crude.