US stops 9 oil tankers attempting to break Trump's blockade on Iranian ports

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. IWF senior fellow Dr. Qanta Ahmed joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss how President Donald Trump is signaling 'optimism' amid the Iran war as the U.S. military continues its naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. military said Wednesday it has stopped nine oil tankers from trying to break a blockade on Iranian ports. "During the first 48 hours of the U.S. blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports, no vessels have made it past U.S. forces. Additionally, 9 vessels have complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around and return toward an Iranian port or coastal area," U.S. Central Command wrote on X. Fox News is told all nine vessels were oil tankers. None of the vessels ordered to turn around needed to be boarded by U.S. forces, a senior U.S. defense official told Fox News. "The U.S has announced a formal blockade of Ir