The US Central Command announced that elements of the Marine Corps carried out a boarding and inspection operation tonight on the commercial tanker 'Win Yao' while it was transiting the Gulf of Oman, as part of the naval procedures taken by US forces in the region.

The command statement clarified that US forces have so far diverted three commercial ships that attempted to breach the naval blockade, while disabling the movement of a fourth ship that did not comply with orders issued to it, stressing the continuation of inspection operations to ensure full compliance with the imposed procedures.

The statement added that forces also boarded another ship to verify its compliance with the naval blockade currently imposed on Iran, emphasizing that the waters of the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding areas remain free and open to international navigation, except for ships that attempt to violate what the command described as the 'steel wall of the American blockade.'