Hello, welcome to NewsHour from the BBC World Service.
We're coming to you live from the studios of the BBC in London.
In the chair tonight, it's Sean Lang.
Although there is a ceasefire between Iran and the United States,
2,000 commercial ships are stranded inside the Persian Gulf.
Both the Iranians and the Americans are now interdicting passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
There'll be different motives and targeting different ships.
White House Press spokesperson Caroline Levitt made the US position clear a little earlier.
With respect to the blockade, as you know,
it has been fully implemented and it 's being enforced against vessels of all nations
entering or departing Iranian ports.
I want to make that point clear.
I've seen some misreporting on that as well.
This includes all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
And our U.S. Forces in the region are supporting the freedom of navigation for vessels
that are transiting the strait to and from non-Iranian ports.
So I know some in the press were confused about that.
Just not with respect to any tanker or vessel that would benefit the economy of Iran as these negotiations continue.
Caroline Levitt, the United States wants no vessel to pass which may be involved in sanctions busting,
for example, carrying Iranian oil.