Pentagon: 13 Ships Turned Away at Hormuz Blockade, No Vessels Boarded — Hegseth Vows Indefinite Duration

The Pentagon briefed reporters on April 16 that 13-14 ships had been turned away from the Hormuz blockade perimeter without being boarded. Over 10,000 US troops were enforcing the cordon across the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea, with no kinetic exchanges reported. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the blockade would continue 'as long as it takes' and that the US was 'ready for new attacks on Iran energy infrastructure' if Tehran escalated. Multiple ships attempting to leave or enter Iranian waters were redirected by US naval vessels without shots being fired. The dual blockade — US on Iranian ports, Iran on the Strait — was effectively trapping Gulf oil exports, with global oil prices near $94-95/barrel Brent.