Symbolic image (Credit: AP)

The US military said on Thursday it had turned back 10 ships attempting to leave Iranian ports during the first 48 hours of its naval blockade, while maritime tracking data showed some of the vessels may have initially transited the Strait of Hormuz.In a post on Twitter, US Central Command said, “Ten ships have now been turned back, and zero ships have been breached since the US blockade began on Monday.” The latest figures involve an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that was “redirected” by the guided missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG-111) after attempting to evade the blockade on Wednesday.According to the US military, the Iranian-flagged cargo ship had departed from Bandar Abbas, exited the strait, and was transiting along Iran’s coastline before being forced to turn back. Before adding the 10th interception, CENTCOM had previously reported nine ships capsized.However, maritime tracking data appeared to complicate the US account. Data on Tuesday indicated that at least three ships originating from Iranian ports transited the strait, some of which later changed course. The vessels were among at least seven ships linked to Iran that transited the waterway after the blockade was imposed at 1400 GMT on Monday, according to maritime analytics firm Kpler.US officials say the blockade has been implemented beyond the strait, into the Gulf of Oman, meaning ships can pass through the chokepoint but face blockage later.The full maritime blockade was announced by the Trump administration after talks in Islamabad failed, and is aimed at blocking maritime trade linked to Iran to increase pressure on Tehran. US Central Command said it was being enforced “impartially” against all ships from all countries entering or leaving Iranian ports, with naval forces standing ready to comply. Amid rising regional tensions, Tehran’s military has largely restricted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic energy chokepoint, since the conflict broke out between Iran, the United States and Israel on February 28.However, according to the New York Post, diplomatic talks between the US and Iran aimed at ending the conflict which is currently under a fragile ceasefire could resume in Pakistan this weekend, even though the blockade remains in effect and tensions continue to rise.