The chairman of the Joint Chiefs said Thursday the U.S. blockade of Iran will be enforced inside the Islamic republic’s territorial waters, as well as international passages.
Air Force Gen. Dan Caine told reporters at the Pentagon that U.S. forces are prepared to intercept any Iranian-flagged vessels that are “attempting to provide material support to Iran.”
“This includes ‘Dark Fleet’ vessels carrying Iranian oil,” Gen. Caine said, referring to ships that seek to evade international detection using deceptive tactics like disabling tracking systems or using false flags.
The U.S. blockade, established on Monday, covers the entirety of Iran’s ports and coastlines, not merely the Strait of Hormuz.
Gen. Caine said 13 ships leaving Iranian ports opted to turn around when they encountered U.S. ships enforcing the blockade.
“Those ship masters can literally see, sense and feel the pressure around them,” the Joint Chiefs chairman said. “It’s a finely tuned machine rehearsed multiple times.”
SEE ALSO: Trump says Lebanon, Israel to meet for further talks Thursday
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.