The United States has formally announced that the naval blockade on Iran will commence tomorrow at 23:00 Jerusalem time, according to an official statement. The measure follows CENTCOM's earlier coordination to impose restrictive measures, as Tehran reportedly mobilizes forces.
The United States formally announced tonight at 20:56 Jerusalem that the naval blockade on Iran will commence tomorrow (Tuesday) at 23:00 Jerusalem time, setting a precise start time after earlier reports suggested the blockade would be imposed immediately. The announcement, made by an official statement, replaces the initial indications from US Central Command that the blockade would begin 'later today' or 'in the early night hours' of Monday, as The Zioneer reported at 18:33 Jerusalem.
The Zioneer's coverage of the blockade timeline evolved rapidly on Monday. At 18:33 Jerusalem, the desk published five updates: first, a CENTCOM spokesperson told the New York Times that the blockade was being finalized for later today; a second version cited 'early night hours'; a third repeated 'later today'; a fourth, citing Axios, reported that CENTCOM would announce the exact date later today; and a fifth, citing an American official to i24NEWS, said final preparations were continuing and an announcement was imminent. The source base broadened from a single NYT report to include Axios and i24NEWS, with the final announcement now confirming the imminent expectation.
The blockade announcement follows the UK's designation of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization earlier today, as The Zioneer reported at 14:33 Jerusalem. The IRGC has previously warned of a response to expected strikes, including a threat on Sunday to respond 'before dawn Thursday' and a declaration of readiness for US strikes on June 11. The IRGC also declared an end to its policy of restraint on Monday at 02:59 Jerusalem, threatening Gulf infrastructure.
The precise enforcement mechanism of the blockade and the extent of its impact on Iranian maritime traffic remain unspecified. It is also unclear how Iran will respond to the formal announcement, given its prior threats of retaliation.
11 developments
- ConfirmedUS military maintains blockade on Iranian ports until Friday deal signing; Strait of Hormuz remains closed
- StrongUS military announces new wave of strikes against Iranian forces in Strait of Hormuz
- DevelopingUS reportedly tells Israel it will strike Iran within hours, warns of retaliation
- ConfirmedCENTCOM confirms third consecutive night of strikes on Iran; explosion reported in Mashhad
Source and signal
- Internal intake