U.S. military turned back six ships in first 24 hours of Iranian port blockade

Iran warU.S. military turned back six ships in first 24 hours of Iranian port blockadeThe U.S. military is using more than 100 U.S. fighter and surveillance aircraft to enforce the blockade, as well as more than a dozen ships.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleU.S. blocks Iranian ports after failed talks02:03Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 14, 2026, 5:23 PM EDTBy Courtney Kube, Mosheh Gains and Gordon LuboldDuring the first 24 hours of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, American warships issued warnings to six vessels, prompting them to turn around, a U.S. official said Tuesday.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.No shots were fired in the encounters, the official said, and U.S. personnel did not board any of the vessels before they reversed course.Five of the ships were carrying oil, according to the official. The contents of the sixth vessel was not immediately clear. Two of the oil-carrying ships turned back in the first two hours after the blockade went into effect on Monday morning. President Donald Trump announced the blockade a day earlier after negotiations with the Iranians failed to produce an agreement to end the war. Since fighting began in late Friday, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been at a near-standstill, sparking a rise in the prices of oil and other key goods.The U.S. military is using more than 100 U.S. fighter and surveillance aircraft to enforce the blockade, as well as more than a dozen ships.The official said the U.S. is stopping vessels as they enter the Gulf of Oman after they go through the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. has more than a dozen ships in the Gulf of Oman and it does not make sense to move them to the Persian Gulf where they risk being in more danger, the official added.Instead, the U.S. can use surveillance aircraft, manned aircraft and sea-based surveillance systems like radars to identify ships t...