U.S. military forces are preparing to board and seize merchant vessels linked to Iran in international waters in the coming days, according to American officials, marking a significant expansion of Washington’s naval enforcement activities beyond the Middle East.
The planned operation will target Iranian-flagged ships and vessels believed to be providing material support to Tehran, officials said. The campaign is expected to extend into other regions, including the Pacific, rather than remaining confined to the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters.
Strait of Hormuz tensions intensify
The move comes as Iran tightens its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply flows.
After briefly signaling de-escalation, Iran abruptly reversed course over the weekend. Just one day after Iran’s foreign minister said the strait was fully open to commercial traffic — a statement that drew praise from former U.S. President Donald Trump — Tehran’s military declared on Saturday that the waterway was under its “strict supervision” and “strict management and control.”
Iranian forces then carried out a series of aggressive actions in and around the strait. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center, run by the British military, reported that Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) gunboats fired on a tanker about 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman. In a separate incident, a container ship was hit by an unidentified projectile, damaging its cargo.
These incidents marked a shift from rhetoric and signaling to direct military action against commercial shipping, raising immediate concerns over maritime safety and global energy flows.
Large U.S. naval presence already in place
The United States has already deployed substantial forces in support of a naval blockade of Iran’s ports, American officials said.
More than 10,000 U.S. personnel, over a dozen warships and more than 100 aircraft are currently involved in the operation. The new directive to seize Iran-linked vessels worldwide would build on that presence by moving enforcement well beyond the Gulf and surrounding waters.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has indicated that U.S. forces will pursue Iranian-flagged ships and those providing material support on a global basis, underscoring that Washington no longer views the enforcement mission as geographically limited.
Shipping industry caught off guard
Shipping companies and maritime operators have been wrong-footed by the speed of the reversal.
Many had responded to Friday’s statement by Iran’s foreign minister — that the Strait of Hormuz was open to commercial traffic — by resuming or planning normal routes through the waterway. That message briefly reduced expectations of disruption.
Saturday’s declaration of “strict supervision” and the subsequent incidents at sea have now revived concerns about safety, insurance costs and delivery schedules, particularly for energy cargoes passing through the narrow corridor between Iran and Oman.
Market reaction and financial implications
The shifting signals from Tehran and Washington have been quickly reflected in global markets.
News on Friday that the strait was open pushed oil prices lower and triggered a rebound in risk-sensitive assets. The total cryptocurrency market capitalization rose 3.16% to $2.61 trillion, as traders moved into higher-risk positions on expectations of easing tensions and fewer supply disruptions.
Reports have also surfaced that Iranian authorities are exploring the use of cryptocurrency for passage payments to circumvent international sanctions, highlighting how digital assets may be used in parallel with traditional financial channels amid geopolitical strain.
The reassertion of Iran’s control over the strait, combined with U.S. plans to seize Iran-linked ships worldwide and the fresh attacks on commercial vessels, have since reversed that tone. Rising expectations of supply chain disruption and higher energy costs are likely to push capital back toward perceived safe havens and increase volatility across commodities, currencies and digital assets in the near term.
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