Shifting goals blur picture of US blockade on Iran

The U.S. has implemented a blockade on Iranian ships until a peace deal is reached, but the effectiveness of this operation is unclear due to shifting objectives and conflicting information. Analysts report that numerous vessels, including those under U.S. sanctions, have crossed the blockade line, complicating the assessment of its success. The U.S. Central Command claims to monitor the blockade's impact on Iran's trade rather than the number of vessels evading it. Some ships have reportedly evaded detection by altering their transponder signals, while exemptions for humanitarian reasons have been suggested but not clearly defined.