US President Donald Trump has warned that Iranian military ships against approaching the blockade zone.
“Iran’s Navy is laying at the bottom of the sea, completely obliterated – 158 ships. What we have not hit are their small number of, what they call, ‘fast attack ships,’ because we did not consider them much of a threat,” Trump wrote in a social media post.
“Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED.”
The blockade, which Trump announced on Sunday after US and Iranian negotiators failed to reach a deal after a round of talks in Pakistan, came into effect on Monday at 10am in Washington, DC (14:00 GMT).
The US move risks setting the stage for a major escalation that could fray a two-week ceasefire between the two countries, which went into effect on Wednesday.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre announced it was notified that the US blockade will apply “without distinction” to ships engaging with Iranian ports and oil terminals.
“The restrictions encompass the entirety of the Iranian coastline, including the ports and energy infrastructure,” UKMTO, which is affiliated with the British navy, said in an advisory.
Although the ceasefire stipulated that Iran would open the Strait of Hormuz, vessel traffic has not increased in the strategic waterway.
Iranian officials have accused the US of violating the truce by allowing Israel to continue to bomb and conduct a ground invasion in Lebanon. Pakistan, which mediated the ceasefire, had said all regional fronts – including Lebanon – were part of the deal.