WASHINGTON: The US-imposed Iran blockade had rerouted 82 commercial vessels by August 28, CENTCOM said, as President Masoud Pezeshkian reported that Iran’s foreign trade had fallen by nearly 35%.
United States Central Command said its forces had also disabled three vessels and boarded two others while enforcing restrictions on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports.
CENTCOM said the latest operations included the guided-missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones. The command has maintained that vessels carrying approved humanitarian supplies can pass through the blockade.
Meanwhile, Pezeshkian told Iranian state media that exports and imports had declined by almost 35% because of US sanctions and restrictions on Iranian ports. Reuters also reported that Iran’s annual inflation reached 66% in July.
Read: Iran Foreign Trade Shrinks 35% Under US Sanctions, Blockade
Washington resumed its maritime blockade on July 14 after suspending the first phase in June. CENTCOM said the earlier phase, from April 13 to June 18, redirected more than 140 vessels and allowed more than 50 humanitarian ships to pass.
The proposal remains subject to a 30-day public comment period and does not apply to Banque Misr operations outside the UAE.
Read: US-Iran War Reaches Six Months as Economic Pressure Builds
The Financial Times also reported that Dubai-Iran commerce had come under growing pressure, although Iranian banks, flights and some commercial routes continued operating through the UAE.
