Updated

US Central Command said it has diverted a total of 87 vessels in the Strait of Hormuz as part of its ongoing naval blockade of Iran, while also disabling three ships and boarding two others to enforce compliance. Iran's Petroleum Minister Mohsen Paknejad said Tehran continues to evade the blockade to keep exporting oil despite the pressure. Maritime data firm Kpler reported that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply on August 31, recording just five confirmed crossings, a 50 percent drop from the prior day's ten. Four vessels entered the Middle East Gulf and one exited, using a mix of Iranian, Omani and negotiated routes, with two crossings involving shadow vessels and one a sanctioned vessel, underscoring the blockade's growing impact on shipping through the chokepoint.