19 US warships will be blockading Iran starting tonight.
19 US warships will be blockading Iran starting tonight.
2026-07-14
Shafaq News – Washington
A U.S. official confirmed on Tuesday that the United States has deployed 19 warships to the Middle East region, a move that gives it significant firepower and military presence to enforce the naval blockade imposed on Iran, according to the Washington Post.
The official, who spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity, explained that most of the naval vessels are stationed in the northern Arabian Sea, and include the aircraft carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush, in addition to 13 destroyers, an amphibious assault ship, a cruiser, and two landing ships.
He pointed out that the large number of destroyers gives US forces a great ability to impose a naval blockade on Iran and secure a strong military presence in the region.
The count did not include any nuclear submarines, as the US Navy typically refuses to disclose their deployment locations.
According to the newspaper, the US embargo will be reinstated on Tuesday at 4:00 PM Eastern Time (11:00 PM Baghdad time), targeting any ship heading to or leaving Iranian ports.
During the previous blockade period, the US Navy intercepted or forced to turn back more than 140 merchant ships, and fired on the engine rooms of 9 ships to disable them after they refused to comply.
These developments come after US President Donald Trump announced the resumption of military operations against Iran and the reimposition of a naval blockade, coinciding with escalating confrontations between the two sides.
shafaq.com
