'The reach is global': Pentagon vows pursuit of ships tied to Iran trade
A top admiral said the US Navy will pursue any vessels "providing material support to Iran" anywhere in the world.
WASHINGTON — The US Navy will pursue any vessels attempting to do business with Iran anywhere in the world, a top admiral said Friday, as the Trump administration doubled down on the military's economic blockade of the Islamic Republic amid a fragile ceasefire in the war.
"There are several vessels of interest [that] we continue to closely monitor both within and outside the blockade boundary. We have eyes on every single one of them," the US' top military commander for forces in the Middle East, Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, told reporters on Friday.
"The reach is global," Cooper said, adding that US military forces are "actively pursuing any vessels seeking to avoid the blockade or providing material support to Iran."
The CENTCOM commander's comments came after President Donald Trump announced on social media that the United States would sustain its naval blockade of Iran's ports until his administration reaches a diplomatic resolution with Iran's leaders to end the war.
