US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday on X that it had reached a "significant milestone after successfully redirecting the 42nd commercial vessel attempting to violate the blockade."

It said there are "41 tankers with 69 million barrels of oil that the Iranian regime can't sell," estimating the value to more than $6 billion.

Trump has faced intense political pressure to end the war, which is unpopular even with much of his base, and has increased costs for American consumers paying at the pump and unnerved US allies.

In a Tuesday meeting, Trump discussed his efforts "to alleviate global oil markets and steps we could take to continue the current blockade for months if needed and minimise impact on American consumers," a White House official said on condition of anonymity.

Trump, speaking to Axios, said of the naval action on Iran: "They are choking like a stuffed pig. And it is going to be worse for them."