Since the US blockade began on Monday, 15 ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz, nine of which are linked to Iran, according to analysis of ship tracking data by the BBC.
The US Central Command (Centcom) has stated that its blockade applies to all ships entering and leaving Iranian ports. It added that ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports will not be impeded.
In an update on Tuesday, Centcom said that in the first 36 hours, no ships managed to pass the blockade and that six of them obeyed instructions to turn back.
Tracking data suggests that six of the ships that passed through the strait had previously visited an Iranian port.
We have not been able to verify the US claim about the number of ships that have been turned back, but tracking data shows that at least one ship that passed through the strait has changed course.
The US-sanctioned tanker, the Rich Starry, sailed east from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates through the strait, but turned back and crossed back into the Persian Gulf on Wednesday.
In addition, two Iranian-flagged ships have been tracked leaving the area near the Iranian port of Chabahar, east of the Strait of Hormuz on Iran's southern coast, after the blockade began.
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