Reports suggest US military may board Iran-linked vessels

On April 18, 2026, the Wall Street Journal reported that the United States government is planning to deploy military personnel to board oil tankers connected to Iran and sixteen other commercial vessels located in international waters. According to the report, citing unidentified American officials, these actions are intended to take place in the coming days. The stated potential objective for such an operation would be to increase pressure on Iran regarding the navigation of the Strait of Hormuz. However, other international news agencies, including Reuters, have stated that they could not independently verify these claims. Additionally, there are unverified reports citing a deployment of 10,000 military personnel intended to enforce a blockade, though this specific detail remains unconfirmed by official government sources. As of now, the U.S. administration has not provided an official statement to validate these reports. The situation remains developing with no confirmed timeline or official confirmation of the alleged boardings.