US Marines board, release vessel in Arabian Sea amid Iran blockade

US Marines operating in the Arabian Sea boarded and later released a commercial vessel on Tuesday suspected of attempting to reach blockaded Iranian ports, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).

“Earlier today in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded M/V Blue Star III,” CENTCOM wrote on US social media platform X.

The vessel was released after a search determined it was not planning to dock at an Iranian port, it said.

CENTCOM added that 39 vessels have been “redirected to ensure compliance” with the blockade.

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted since the US-Israeli war against Iran began Feb. 28, rattling global energy markets and raising fears of prolonged economic damage.

A Pakistan-mediated ceasefire remains in place. Further talks to permanently end the conflict have yet to be planned after US President Donald Trump called off a visit by his envoys to the South Asian country’s capital, Islamabad, over the weekend.

The UN said ship traffic along the waterway has fallen 95.3% since the war began, while commodity food prices have risen 6%.