US Marines board merchant ship in Arabian Sea suspected to be headed to Iran

US Marines boarded a commercial ship in the Arabian Sea suspecting it was headed to Iran in violation of the US-imposed blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The US Central Command said that the commercial ship M/V Blue Star III was searched and released after ascertaining that it was not headed to an Iranian port. ''Earlier today in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded M/V Blue Star III, a commercial ship suspected of attempting to transit to Iran in violation of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports,'' CENTCOM wrote on X on Tuesday. CENTCOM said US forces released the vessel after conducting a search and confirming the ship's voyage would not include an Iranian port call. The vessel was released after a search determined it was not planning to dock at an Iranian port, it said. CENTCOM added that 39 vessels have been ''redirected to ensure compliance'' with the blockade. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted since the US-Israeli war against Iran began February 28, rattling global energy markets and raising fears of prolonged economic damage. The blockade has resulted in ships being anchored at various ports in the region. ''Prior to the U.S. blockade on Iran, 5 ships were moored or anchored in the Iranian port of Chah Bahar on an average day. Today, more than 20 vessels remain in Chah Bahar as US forces cut off economic trade going into and coming out of Iran during the ongoing blockade,'' the CENTCOM said. According to marine traffic monitoring websites, M/V Blue Star III is a container ship sailing under the flag of Comoros and was headed to the port of Sohar in Oman.

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