美国海军驱逐舰正处于五角大楼封锁伊朗港口行动的核心。美国中央司令部于2026年4月16日发布消息称，美国海军已投入十余艘军舰执行封锁任务。其中，多艘阿利·伯克级导弹驱逐舰扮演了关键角色。美国联合参谋部主席丹·凯恩上将于周四在五角大楼表示，这些驱逐舰是水面舰队的“脊梁”，并将其形容为美国海军的“跑车”。
阿利·伯克级驱逐舰拥有约300名船员，火力强大，拥有近100个垂直发射单元，可混合装载防空和攻击导弹。舰船还配备了甲板炮以应对水面威胁，并搭载作战直升机，使其具备在海空领域跟踪、定位和打击威胁的能力。凯恩表示：“到目前为止，这些船上最重要的武器是美国水兵。”他补充说，这些驱逐舰由水面舰队中最年轻的水兵运行，负责操舵的人员可能年仅18岁。
五角大楼未透露参与封锁的确切驱逐舰数量，但表示参与军舰已超过12艘。其中包括亚伯拉罕·林肯号航空母舰和的黎波里号两栖攻击舰，这两艘舰船均搭载了战斗机。
US Navy destroyers are at the center of the Pentagon's blockade of Iranian ports.
US Central Command
2026-04-16T15:52:03.290Z
The US Navy has committed more than a dozen warships to enforcing its blockade of Iranian ports.
At the center of these efforts is a number of Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers.
The top US general on Thursday called them the "backbone" of the Navy's surface fleet.
US Navy guided-missile destroyers are playing a central role in the military blockade of Iranian ports, alongside a diverse mix of American warships and combat aircraft.
Speaking at the Pentagon on Thursday, the top US general said the Navy's Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are the "backbone" of the surface fleet and singled out their role in the blockade."It is the sports car of the United States Navy," Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters.Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, crewed by around 300 sailors, are packed with firepower, including nearly 100 vertical launch cells for a mix of air-defense and strike missiles. They also field deck guns for surface threats and embark combat helicopters, giving them the ability to track, target, and engage threats across air and sea."Far and away, the most important weapon on board these ships is the American sailor," Caine said, adding later that the destroyers are "run by the youngest sailors in our surface warfare navy." The helmsmen, tasked with steering the warships, may be as young as 18, he said.
The Pentagon has not disclosed the specific number of destroyers involved in the ongoing blockade, but it said more than a dozen warships are participating. Among those are the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, both of which are carrying embarked fighter jets.
Navy destroyers are heavily armed with a mix of land-attack and surface-to-air missiles.
US Central Command Photo
Dozens of surveillance aircraft, refueling planes, and drones are also involved in enforcing the blockade, preventing merchant vessels from entering or leaving Iranian ports and straining Iran's maritime economy.US Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, said the destroyer USS Spruance on Tuesday had "successfully redirected" an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel that tried to evade the blockade.CENTCOM said on Thursday that 14 vessels have turned around to comply with the blockade since it began on Monday.US troops have not yet boarded any vessels in the Middle East. Caine said that American forces beyond the region will pursue Iranian-flagged vessels trying to provide "material support" to Tehran, including those carrying sanctioned oil.The naval blockade came after the US and Iran reached a tenu