Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine delivered an update on the U.S. blockade of Iran’s ports, saying that since Monday at 10:00 a.m., 14 ships have made the “wise decision” to turn around and not attempt to cross the line into or out of Iranian waters. The ships hear this message: “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.” “As this message is being transmitted, those ship masters can literally see, sense, and feel the pressure around them,” he said. “It’s a finely tuned machine, rehearsed multiple times and executed now 13 times since the blockade has begun.” “As attempted blockade runners attempt to hop the line, US forces began to commit. Out in front of them was a range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and tactical assets. And immediately these runners began to see, sense, and feel America’s combat power, compressing upon them.” “The captains of all these ships have made the wise decision not to move, transit, or run the blockade,” he said. “You can see that the captain of all captains of all these ships have made the wise decision not to move transit or run this blockade.” “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,” he said. “As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any ships. I’ll also remind you that we are conducting similar maritime interdiction operations in the Pacific AOR against vessels that departed that region before the blockade began.” “And I’ll remind you that we are also conducting similar maritime interdiction actions and activities in the Pacific AOR against those ships that left that area before we began the blockade.”
RealClearPolitics Videos