Pentagon says 13 ships turned away from Strait of Hormuz blockade

April 16 (UPI) -- Gen. Dan Caine told the press Thursday that 13 ships have turned away from the U.S. blockade on the Strait of Hormuz so far.

Caine, the chairman of the White House Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the blockade, which began on Monday, applies to all ships using Iranian ports, regardless of their country of origin. He added that U.S. forces will pursue any Iranian vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran.

"Enforcement will occur inside Iran's territorial seas and in international waters," Caine said. "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.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth joined Caine for a briefing on the Iran war at the Pentagon on Thursday morning. Hegseth said the pair were briefed by U.S. Central Command Commander Bradley Cooper prior to addressing the press.

Cooper is leading the effort to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, ensuring that U.S. forces are "maximally postured to restart combat operations should this new Iranian regime choose poorly and not agree to a deal," Hegseth said.

"In the meantime, and for as long as it takes, we will maintain this blockade," Hegseth continued. "If Iran chooses poorly then they will have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure and power and energy."

After discussing the blockade at the opening of the briefing, Hegseth spent roughly seven minutes sharing his criticism of the press.

"Speaking of choosing wisely, a note to the press, to the American media, as I just can't help the endless stream of garbage," Hegseth said. "Sometimes it's hard to figure out what side some of you are actually on."

Hegseth then compared the press to the Pharisees, an anti-Semitic analogy that implies Jewish people are hypocritical and dishonest.

"The Pharisees, the so-called self-appointed elites of their time, they were there to witness, to write everything down. To report," Hegseth said. "Even though they witnessed a literal miracle, it didn't matter. They were only there to explain away the goodness in pursuit of their agenda. I sat there in church and I thought our press is just like these Pharisees."

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This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 10:46 AM.