U.S. Central Command Deploys Three Carrier Strike Groups to Enforce Iranian Blockade as Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Extended Three Weeks
Three aircraft carrier strike groups (USS Abraham Lincoln, USS Gerald R. Ford, and USS George H.W. Bush) are now operating simultaneously in the region for the first time in decades,
MIDDLE EAST — U.S. forces have redirected 34 vessels attempting to enter or exit Iranian ports under an expanding blockade enforced by U.S. Central Command.
Three aircraft carrier strike groups (USS Abraham Lincoln, USS Gerald R. Ford, and USS George H.W. Bush) are now operating simultaneously in the region for the first time in decades, supported by over 200 aircraft and 15,000 sailors and Marines.
President Trump has directed the Navy to destroy any Iranian boats laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz and ordered mine-sweeping operations at tripled capacity. Rules of engagement authorize destruction of Iranian fast boats that threaten shipping or lay mines.
The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has been extended by three weeks, while Iran’s foreign minister conducts talks in Pakistan on regional developments.
The briefing from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine on April 24 detailed 55 days of operations since major combat began, including the interdiction of the motor vessel Touska and two very large crude carriers in the Indo-Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad on April 24 for meetings with Pakistani leadership on regional peace and stability.
Blockade Enforcement and Maritime Interdictions
U.S. Central Command stated on April 24 that the blockade against ships entering or exiting Iranian ports continues, with U.S. forces having redirected 34 vessels to date.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said every ship the United States believes meets its criteria (Iranian ships or those traveling to and from Iranian ports) has been turned around. Non-Iranian vessels continue to transit, including overnight passages.
Gen. Dan Caine reported that on April 19 the motor vessel Touska, a 965-foot container ship, ignored multiple warnings over six hours before U.S. Navy forces fired warning shots and then nine inert rounds into its engine room at approximately 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time, disabling the vessel.
U.S. Marines boarded via helicopter fast-rope infiltration and took custody. The ship and crew remain in U.S. custody.
On April 20 and April 22, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command interdicted the motor tanker Tifani and the stateless motor tanker Majestic X, both very large crude carriers transporting sanctioned Iranian oil, at the request of the Department of Justice. Both vessels and their crews are in U.S. custody.
