US forces hit tankers trying to break Iran blockade as military says embargo has stalled 70 ships

WASHINGTON — The US military launched a new series of airstrikes Friday, targeting a group of empty tankers in the Strait of Hormuz that were trying to barrel through the blockade of Iranian ports, according to Fox News.

An unknown number of ships were struck, with a senior US official describing them as “Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC) …. massive, empty ships trying to make it back to Iran,” according to the network’s chief national security correspondent, Jennifer Griffin.

Information about damage was not immediately available.

The US has roughly 15,000 troops enforcing the blockade, which took effect April 13.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) revealed in a post to X Friday that “[t]here are currently more than 70 tankers that US forces are preventing from entering or leaving Iranian ports.

“These commercial ships have the capacity to transport over 166 million barrels of Iranian oil worth an estimated $13 billion-plus.”

CENTCOM and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Analysts have warned that high tensions over the blockade could accidentally trigger a return to full-scale war.

However, the US has avoided formally ending the ongoing cease-fire with Iran despite multiple skirmishes in recent days, including American strikes Thursday evening that President Trump downplayed as “love taps.”