The U.S. military intercepts a merchant ship in the Arabian Sea on the grounds of violating sanctions against Iran.

On April 28, Xinhua News Agency reported from Washington (reporters Huang Qiang and Xu Jianmei) that the U.S. Central Command announced on social media that U.S. forces conducted an onboard inspection of a merchant vessel in the Arabian Sea suspected of violating the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, and released the ship after confirming it was not heading to Iran.

The Central Command stated that the merchant vessel named "Blue Star 3" was suspected of attempting to sail to Iran. Soldiers from the U.S. Marine Corps' 31st Expeditionary Unit boarded the ship for inspection and released it after confirming its route did not include a stop at an Iranian port.

Vessel tracking websites show that the "Blue Star 3" is a container ship flying the Comoros flag.

The U.S. Central Command also stated that U.S. forces are continuously conducting operations and executing related blockade missions throughout the Middle East, with 39 vessels having changed course at the request of the U.S. military to date.

Following a temporary ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, the U.S. continues to enforce a maritime blockade against Iran, which Iran demands to be lifted. Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations, Iravani, stated during a speech at the UN Security Council on the 27th that the U.S. is openly violating international law by continuing to impose an illegal blockade on Iran and forcibly detaining Iranian vessels and crew, "like pirates and terrorists."