The U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said on the 20th local time that a total of 27 ships have turned back since the U.S. military began blockading the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters.
Earlier, following President Donald Trump's orders, the U.S. military began a maritime blockade at 10 a.m. Eastern time on the 13th, targeting all vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports or coasts via the Strait of Hormuz.
This was a U.S. "counter-blockade" in response to Iran continuing to close the Strait of Hormuz while taking issue with Israel's attacks on Lebanon after a two-week truce agreement that began on the 7th. President Trump is maintaining this measure even during the "10-day truce" between Israel and Lebanon.
The U.S. military says that during this period no Iran-linked vessels have exited the Strait of Hormuz. The day before, when the Iranian cargo ship Tusca, bound for the southern port of Bandar Abbas, failed to comply with an order to turn back, the military used force to seize it.
According to the New York Times (NYT), the U.S. military is searching about 5,000 containers loaded on the Tusca and will decide how to handle the vessel once the search is complete. A U.S. military official said the Tusca's crew will return to Iran soon.