Washington DC, April 18 -- The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) on Saturday said that 21 vessels have been compelled to turn back toward Iran since the United States initiated a naval blockade targeting access to Iranian ports amid diplomatic engagements in order to achieve a complete solution to the hostilities in the region.

In a post on X, CENTCOM stated that the US guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) is actively patrolling the Arabian Sea as part of the enforcement operation.

"Guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) patrols the Arabian Sea, April 17, as U.S. forces enforce the naval blockade on ships attempting to enter or exit Iranian ports. Since commencement of the blockade, 21 ships have co...