Iran Claims 52 of Its Ships Successfully Breached US Blockade in 72 Hours
Iranian authorities claim that 52 of their ships successfully breached the sea blockade imposed by the United States (US) over a 72-hour period. The US has blockaded Iranian ports since mid-April in an effort to pressure Tehran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz. A report from Iran’s Fars News Agency, as cited by Middle East Monitor on Thursday (30/4/2026), states that the fleet was based on satellite tracking data covering three days up to Monday (27/4) evening at 22:00 local time. Fars News Agency mentioned that the 52 Iranian ships that breached the US sea blockade consisted of 31 oil tankers and 21 cargo ships. This situation has developed as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted since the war erupted between Iran against the US and Israel on 28 February. In an announcement on 2 March, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared that the Strait of Hormuz was closed to maritime traffic. That measure, limiting crossing activities in the vital waterway, has shaken the global energy market and heightened concerns about prolonged economic damage. The Strait of Hormuz, which typically carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply, has become a focus of the latest dispute between Iran and the US. The US responded by imposing a sea blockade on Iranian ports in an attempt to pressure Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Recently, Iran submitted a new proposal to the US through Pakistan as a mediator. The proposal offers to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on the condition that the US lifts its sea blockade. Iran’s latest proposal also suggests delaying nuclear negotiations to the next stage after the Strait of Hormuz is reopened and the US blockade is lifted. US President Donald Trump rejected the proposal and emphasised that the sea blockade remains in place until a nuclear agreement is reached between Washington and Tehran. There has been no direct US response to Iran’s latest claim of breaching the sea blockade.