Since April 13, US Central Command has redirected between 135 and 142 commercial ships and disabled nine non-compliant vessels as part of an ongoing naval blockade targeting all maritime traffic bound for Iranian ports. No vessels have successfully evaded the blockade.

CENTCOM’s enforcement operation covers all commercial vessels entering or exiting Iranian ports. The blockade does not affect ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz en route to non-Iranian destinations, a critical distinction given that roughly a fifth of global oil supply passes through that chokepoint.

The nine non-compliant vessels that refused to comply were disabled through precision strikes after receiving prior warnings. Among the disabled ships: the Guinea-Bissau-flagged Jalvee and the Palau-flagged M/T Settebello, both oil tankers struck after ignoring multiple directives. Humanitarian vessels have been allowed through under limited circumstances, though the threshold for what qualifies remains tightly controlled by CENTCOM.

The US Treasury has seized approximately $1 billion in Iranian-linked cryptocurrency holdings as part of the broader pressure campaign. That figure comes on top of earlier freezes totaling roughly $344 million, bringing the combined total to nearly $1.35 billion in digital assets frozen or seized.

The Treasury has also sanctioned Iranian digital asset exchanges, cutting off on-ramps and off-ramps that Tehran had been using to move money outside traditional banking channels. Iran is reportedly now demanding payments in Bitcoin or other digital assets for transit fees and insurance charges related to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Traders should watch for new Treasury designations targeting crypto exchanges or wallets linked to Iranian entities, which could trigger short-term sell pressure, particularly on privacy-focused tokens. The volume of seized assets — nearly $1.35 billion — also raises questions about how and when those assets might be liquidated by the US government.