Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) sails in the Arabian Sea during Operation Epic Fury, on March 18, 2026. U.S. Navy
The United States has significantly expanded the scope of its naval blockade on Iran, signaling that vessels linked to Tehran can now be boarded, searched, and seized on the high seas worldwide under wartime enforcement authorities, according to Pentagon leadership and a maritime advisory circulated to commercial shipping.
The update, issued via a Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) note on April 16 citing U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, states that “all Iranian vessels, vessels with active OFAC sanctions, and vessels suspected of carrying contraband … are subject to visit, board, search, and seizure,” regardless of location.