US turned back 27 vessels since start of naval blockade of Iran: CENTCOM

US Central Command said Monday that American forces have directed 27 commercial vessels to turn around or return to an Iranian port since the naval blockade of Iranian ports began on April 13.

The figure marks an increase from the 25 vessels reported earlier and follows Sunday's interception of the Iranian-flagged cargo ship TOUSKA in the northern Arabian Sea, which was disabled by USS Spruance after its crew refused to comply with warnings over a six-hour period.

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted since the US-Israeli war on Iran began on Feb. 28, rattling global energy markets and raising fears of prolonged economic damage.