The blockade is real and active RIGHT NOW. At 10:00am ET this Monday April 13, the US Navy officially began blocking all maritime traffic entering or exiting Iranian ports. Two destroyers, USS Frank E. Petersen and USS Michael Murphy, already crossed the strait Saturday to set conditions.

According to CSIS, 18 warships were in the region before the war, including two aircraft carriers with full strike groups. Since then, Marine Expeditionary Units with thousands of additional troops were deployed and a third carrier strike group is on its way. Retired Admiral Stavridis told CNN at least a dozen ships outside the Gulf and six destroyers inside are needed to enforce the blockade.

🇮🇷 Iran responded immediately. Its armed forces called it “piracy” and warned: “Security of Persian Gulf ports is either for everyone or for no one. If our ports are threatened, no port in the region will be safe.” Trump doubled down: Iranian ships approaching the blockade “will be eliminated.”