Afghanistan, Aug. 25 -- The U.S. military has allowed more than 40 vessels carrying humanitarian aid to pass through its naval blockade of Iran, while 71 commercial ships have been forced to change course, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Monday.
CENTCOM said its forces had also disabled three vessels and boarded two others to enforce the blockade. The figures cover operations through Aug. 24.
The U.S. blockade has sharply disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route. Preliminary shipping data showed commodity-vessel traffic through the strait falling to its lowest level since May 7, with only one commodity vessel recorded crossing on Monday.
CENTCOM's latest figures indicate that Washington is continuing...