U.S. Tightens Military Pressure on Iran as Naval Blockade Redirects 122 Commercial Vessels.

U.S. forces have redirected 122 commercial vessels while enforcing Washington’s blockade against Iran, U.S. Central Command said on September 25, 2026, up from 99 vessels reported on September 11. The 23-vessel increase in two weeks shows sustained U.S. pressure on maritime traffic linked to Iranian ports, with the U.S. Navy USS Boxer, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit supporting enforcement operations in regional waters.

The continued deployment of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship gives U.S. forces a mobile platform for aviation, Marine operations, surveillance, and potential vessel-interdiction missions. Its presence strengthens the blockade’s ability to control access to Iranian ports while maintaining a flexible naval and expeditionary force near one of the world’s most strategically important maritime corridors.

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The U.S. CENTCOM (Central Command) disclosed the new figure on September 25 while reporting that 11th MEU Marines continued operating and training aboard Boxer in regional waters. The amphibious force's continued presence gives U.S. commanders a sea-based combination of aviation, Marine ground forces, and boarding-capable personnel alongside Navy surface combatants enforcing the blockade.

The latest count marks a measurable expansion from the 99 redirected vessels reported on September 11, when CENTCOM identified Boxer as the flagship of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and its embarked 11th MEU during the same operation. The amphibious force has remained a visible component of the U.S. maritime enforcement posture around Iran.

The increase has continued through successive CENTCOM updates. On September 21, the command said the total had reached 110 vessels and identified the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG-115) as another warship conducting enforcement in regional waters, describing its mission as preventing commerce from entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas. Four days later, the disclosed total had climbed by another 12 vessels to 122.

CENTCOM has specifically described the affected commercial ships as “redirected.” Its public statements do not establish that all 122 vessels were boarded, seized or detained, making the distinction operationally important when assessing the scale of the mission. The figure instead provides a cumulative measure of commercial traffic that U.S. forces say was diverted to ensure compliance with the blockade.

USS Boxer gives the operation considerably more capability than a surface patrol built around destroyers alone. The 844-foot, roughly 40,500-ton amphibious assault ship can sustain speeds above 20 knots and is designed to embark a large Marine force, along with rotary-wing aircraft, MV-22 Osprey tiltrotors, F-35B Lightning II fighters, and landing craft, allowing it to function as both an aviation base and an amphibious command ship at sea.

The 11th MEU adds a Marine air-ground force designed for rapid-response missions, amphibious operations and selected maritime operations. Marine Corps information published earlier in 2026 identified its major elements as Battalion Landing Team 3/5, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron VMM-163 (Reinforced), Marine Fighter Attack Squadron VMFA-122 and Combat Logistics Battalion 11, with the unit embarked aboard the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group alongside USS Portland (LPD-27) and USS Comstock (LSD-45).

That force has already demonstrated a direct maritime-interdiction role during the deployment. Official Marine Corps imagery shows 11th MEU personnel conducting a verification boarding of the tanker M/T Wen Yao in the Gulf of Oman on July 16, while later imagery documented Battalion Landing Team 3/5 Marines conducting fast-rope training from a UH-1Y Venom aboard Boxer in the CENTCOM area of responsibility on August 15. These activities illustrate the combination of boarding personnel and aviation support available to commanders during maritime enforcement missions.

Boxer also operates as an aviation hub for the embarked Marine force. Marine Corps imagery from June showed F-35B Lightning II fighters from VMFA-122 conducting flight operations from the ship, while the Wasp-class design can support helicopters and MV-22 tiltrotors as well as landing craft operating through its well deck. This mix lets the amphibious force move personnel rapidly between ships, conduct surveillance and force-protection missions, and position Marines without relying exclusively on surface maneuver.

The presence of USS Rafael Peralta demonstrates the complementary role of guided-missile destroyers in the operation. While the 11th MEU and Boxer provide embarked troops, aviation, and amphibious capabilities, destroyers can maintain a persistent surface presence and provide sensors, command-and-control capacity, and defensive firepower across a wider maritime area. Together, they expand options for monitoring traffic and supporting enforcement without requiring every encounter to involve an amphibious ship.

The 122-vessel figure also comes as shipping through and around the Strait of Hormuz remains part of the wider U.S.-Iran confrontation. Iran has opposed the U.S. blockade and disputed Washington’s characterization of conditions in the waterway, while U.S. officials continue to describe maritime operations as part of efforts to control traffic connected with Iranian ports. Shipping through Hormuz remains heavily disrupted, making precise distinctions between redirected vessels, normal commercial transits, and other movements important when assessing the effect of the operation.

For U.S. forces, the progression from 99 redirected vessels on September 11 to 110 on September 21 and 122 on September 25 shows that the blockade remains an active mission rather than a static naval deployment. It also keeps a substantial amphibious force tied to maritime enforcement while surface combatants such as Rafael Peralta contribute to the wider cordon, extending the operation across several types of Navy and Marine Corps capabilities.

The operational significance therefore lies less in the latest deployment of another individual warship than in the persistence and cumulative scale of the enforcement effort. Maintaining amphibious ships, Marine forces and guided-missile destroyers in the region creates a sustained maritime presence capable of responding to commercial shipping, protecting U.S. forces and adapting to changes in the confrontation.

With CENTCOM now reporting 122 redirected commercial vessels, the U.S. operation has added 23 ships to its publicly disclosed enforcement count since September 11, while U.S. Navy Boxer amphibious assault ship and the 11th MEU remain forward. The latest update shows how Washington is using both surface combatants and a sea-based Marine air-ground force to sustain the blockade while retaining aviation, boarding, and rapid-response capabilities in regional waters.

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Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.