{"id":2591627,"date":"2026-04-16T15:44:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T19:44:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-warns-it-will-actively-pursue-any-vessels-attempting-to-aid-iran-outside-of-the-middle-east\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T15:46:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T19:46:19","slug":"us-warns-it-will-actively-pursue-any-vessels-attempting-to-aid-iran-outside-of-the-middle-east","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-warns-it-will-actively-pursue-any-vessels-attempting-to-aid-iran-outside-of-the-middle-east\/","title":{"rendered":"US Warns it Will &#8216;Actively Pursue&#8217; Any Vessels Attempting to Aid Iran Outside of the Middle East"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fus-warns-it-will-actively-pursue-any-vessels-attempting-to-aid-iran-outside-of-the-middle-east%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2591627&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-officials-missionaries-evacuated-from-niger-as-military-seizes-power\/\" title=\"U.S. officials, missionaries flee Niger as military takes control.\">military leaders announced<\/a> an active blockade of Iran\u2019s ports and coastline, stating that ships headed to or from Iranian ports will face interdiction and perhaps the use of force if they do not comply. Gen. Dan caine said the blockade is active, applies to all ships regardless of nationality, and will be enforced inside Iran\u2019s territorial seas as well as in international waters. So far, 13 ships bound for Iran have turned around. The briefing suggested the United States could transition quickly from blockade operations to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/without-a-negotiated-settlement-history-shows-russia-ukraine-war-will-be-a-long-brutal-slog\/\" title=\"Without A Negotiated Settlement, History Shows Russia-Ukraine War Will Be A Long, Brutal Slog\">major combat operations<\/a> if needed, with warnings to vessels in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth echoed the sentiment of readiness for a rapid, more forceful response. The report also mentions efforts to counter iran\u2019s oil shipments via <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >dark fleet networks<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hilarity-ensues-when-dems-post-presidents-day-message-with-huge-bill-clinton-problem\/\" title=\"Hilarity Ensues When Dems Post Presidents Day Message With Huge Bill Clinton Problem\">notes social-media posts<\/a> and other official commentary accompanying the declaration.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Ships that are on a mission to support Iran will face the full military might of the United States, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine said Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>During a briefing, Caine said the blockade is an active operation, not a passive one.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Let me be clear: This blockade applies to ALL ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports,&rdquo; Caine said in a video <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RapidResponse47\/status\/2044753932400918905\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">posted<\/a> to X.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran&rsquo;s ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Enforcement will occur inside Iran&rsquo;s territorial seas and in international waters,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/thejointstaff?\">@thejointstaff<\/a> Chairman Gen. Dan Caine: &ldquo;Let me be clear: this blockade applies to ALL ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports. The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran&rsquo;s ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Enforcement will&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xGIclPQHmi\">pic.twitter.com\/xGIclPQHmi<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RapidResponse47\/status\/2044753932400918905?\">April 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadAnyclip(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #anyclipvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#anyclipvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In addition to this blockade, the joint force, through operations and activities in other areas of responsibility, like the Pacific area of responsibility &hellip; will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran. This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Caine said that to date, 13 ships heading for Iran have turned around, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/5834047-us-blockade-strait-hormuz-update\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Hill<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The captains of all these ships made the wise decision not to move transit or run this blockade,&rdquo; Caine said. &ldquo;So far, 13 ships have made the wise choice of turning around.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As we continue to hold this blockade at the order of the Secretary and the President, any vessel that fails to comply with our instructions will be dealt with accordingly,&rdquo; Caine said.<\/p>\n<p>Caine said that ships in the Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility &ldquo;that left that area before we began the blockade&rdquo; could also be stopped.<\/p>\n<p>Caine said vessels are warned &ldquo;do not attempt to breach the blockade. Vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure, transiting to or from Iranian ports, turn around or prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If you do not comply with the blockade, we will use force,&rdquo; Caine said.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">&#128680; Gen. Caine: &ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to emphasize during this pause that the United States joint force remains postured and ready to resume major combat operations at literally a moment&rsquo;s notice.&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/i60VgtAJrZ\">pic.twitter.com\/i60VgtAJrZ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JewishWarrior13\/status\/2044756117331259447?\">April 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>During the briefing, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said U.S. forces can quickly &ldquo;make the transition&rdquo; from the blockade to &ldquo;major combat operations,&rdquo; according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/hegseth-caine-iran-war-briefing-isreal-lebanon-talks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CBS News<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We can make that transition again very quickly and even more powerfully than ever,&rdquo; Hegseth said.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">At Pentagon briefing, Hegseth invokes the Bible to say &ldquo;our press are just like the Pharisees&rdquo; and calls coverage of war &ldquo;unpatriotic.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Your politically motivated animus for President Trump nearly completely blinds you from the brilliance of our American warriors.&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/NouHPdT74B\">pic.twitter.com\/NouHPdT74B<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Vera Bergengruen (@VeraMBergen) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/VeraMBergen\/status\/2044755391800582246?\">April 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>  &ldquo;At the direction of President Trump, the War Department will ensure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon, never. We prefer to do it the nice way through a deal led by our great vice president and negotiating team, or we can do it the hard way,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s a paraphrase of the main points:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; In a briefing on April 16, 2026, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, announced a U.S.-led blockade aimed at Iran\u2019s ports and coastline, not the Strait of Hormuz. He stressed the blockade is active and applies to all ships entering or leaving Iranian ports, regardless of nationality, with enforcement inside Iran\u2019s territorial waters and in international waters.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The United States will pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel helping Iran, including ships in the dark-fleet that carry Iranian oil.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; So far, 13 ships bound for Iran have turned around rather than challenge the blockade. Any vessel that does not comply will be boarded, interdicted, or seized, and noncompliance will be met with force.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Vessels that left the Indo-Pacific region before the blockade began could also be stopped; ships will be warned not to breach the blockade, and noncompliant vessels will face boarding and seizure.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Caine said the blockade would be maintained under orders from the secretary and the president, and that further actions could be taken against any vessel that does not comply.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; He noted the joint force remains ready to resume major combat operations at a moment\u2019s notice.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; In related remarks, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the United States could quickly transition from the blockade to major combat operations, even more powerfully than before.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; There\u2019s also a statement attributed to President Trump directing the War Department to ensure Iran never develops a nuclear weapon, with a preference for a diplomatic path led by the vice president but a readiness to pursue the \u201chard way\u201d if necessary<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2591628,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Dan-Caine-Pentagon-blockade.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4551,3823,72905,77904,50822],"class_list":["post-2591627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-foreign-policy","tag-iran","tag-maritime-security-2","tag-naval-interdiction","tag-us-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Dan-Caine-Pentagon-blockade.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2591627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2591627"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2591627\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2591631,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2591627\/revisions\/2591631"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2591628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2591627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2591627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2591627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}