US–Iran war highlights: Washington claims success in Iran port blockade as 10 vessels turned back in first 48 hours

The US military has reported turning back 10 vessels attempting to sail out of Iranian ports during the initial 48 hours of its naval blockade against IranTen vessels have now been turned around and ZERO ships have broken through since the start of the US blockade on Monday US Central Command CENTCOM stated in a post on X CENTCOM earlier reported nine vessels turned back and later added a tenth which it said was redirected back to Iran by a US guided missile destroyerYesterday an Iranianflagged cargo vessel tried to evade the US blockade after leaving Bandar Abbas exiting the Strait of Hormuz and transiting along the Iranian coastline The guidedmissile destroyer USS Spruance DDG 111 successfully redirected the vessel which ishellip pictwittercomEUnwhwYiDvmdash US Central Command CENTCOM April 15 2026The blockade came into effect at 2 pm Greenwich Mean Time on Monday after peace talks failed While CENTCOM maintained that no vessels broke through maritime tracking data from provider Kpler indicated that at least seven Iranlinked vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz after the blockade began with tracking from Tuesday showing at least three ships crossing some later turned backTehrans forces had earlier effectively closed the strait following the start of the USIsraeli air campaign against Iran on February 28Netanyahu US and Israel share identical goals on IranIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israel and the United States remain fully aligned in efforts to contain IranOur American friends keep us constantly updated on their contacts with Iran The objectives of the United States and our own are identical Netanyahu stated in a televised speechHe outlined the shared goals We want to see enriched material removed from Iran we want to see the elimination of enrichment capability within Iran and of course we want to see the Hormuz strait reopenedNetanyahu also addressed negotiations with Lebanon saying the top priority was the dismantling of Hezbollah In the negotiations with Lebanon there are two central objectives first the dismantling of Hezbollah second a sustainable peace achieved through strengthPak PM pushes for USIran peace talks during Saudi meetPakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated Islamabads commitment to promoting dialogue between the United States and Iran during a meeting with Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin SalmanIn a post on X Sharif highlighted Pakistans role in facilitating a USIran ceasefire and initiating historic peace talks in Islamabad He expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and appreciated its patience and restraint under the Crown Princes leadershipI reiterated Pakistans firm commitment to advancing its efforts to encourage both the US and Iran towards an agreement aimed at lasting peace and stability in the region Sharif statedIrans Supreme Leader representative in India calls conflict an individual warDr Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi representative of Irans Supreme Leader in India described the ongoing West Asia conflict as an individual war pursued by Israeli leadership for decadesThe Prime Minister of Israel wanted to initiate this war for 40 years against Iran He could not convince any President of the United States in the past to launch a war against Iran but this time he convinced US President Trump to support him This is an individual war Ilahi said while speaking to the media in JaipurHe criticised the USIsrael alliance claiming diplomatic efforts were not taken seriously and that military pressure failed to achieve objectives Ilahi added that Iran announced from the beginning that the other side was not serious about the negotiationEmphasising civilisational ties he noted Our relationship with India is rooted in 5000 years of cultural educational and philosophical connections The relationship between Iran and India is very strong and after the war it will be even stronger and deeperQatari Emir urges deescalation in call with TrumpQatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump and called for urgent deescalation amid rising tensions in West AsiaThe Emir stressed the importance of intensifying international efforts to prevent further escalation and pursue diplomatic solutions to safeguard regional and global security The leaders also discussed the impact of tensions on global energy markets and international supply chainsMeanwhile the United Arab Emirates summoned the Iraqi charge daffaires in Abu Dhabi and handed over a protest note over alleged terrorist attacks originating from Iraqi territory The US and Saudi Arabia had taken similar steps recentlyThese developments reflect ongoing military posturing alongside diplomatic efforts with Pakistan continuing to mediate and regional players calling for restraint following failed or stalled peace talksWith AFP and ANI inputs