The United States Navy has seized 41 tankers linked to Iran since the beginning of the blockade of Iranian ports, with a total of 69 million barrels of oil on board.
This was stated by Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). His remarks were published on CENTCOM’s official account on the social network “X”.
“Currently, the Iranian authorities have been deprived of the ability to monetize 69 million barrels of oil transported on 41 tankers. This represents more than $6 billion that the Iranian leadership will not be able to use for its financial interests,” he said.
According to him, “the blockade is highly effective,” and U.S. forces remain “fully committed” to ensuring its enforcement.
It is noted that on February 28, the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran, resulting in the deaths of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior officials. Following this, Iran began carrying out strikes not only against Israel but also against U.S. and allied military bases in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, and Cyprus.
Iran, the United States, and their allies agreed on a two-week ceasefire starting on the night of April 8, 2026. On April 11–12, negotiations between Iran and the United States were held in Islamabad with the mediation of Pakistan. However, the talks ended without results due to differences in the parties’ positions.
