Blockade

Strategy or physical withdrawal: What does Washington’s shift from airstrikes to sanctions signify?

Despite the apparent success of the US’s blockade and sanctions campaign, Iranian officials have repeatedly expressed that they would not falter in maintaining control over the Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump reacts as he speaks to the media with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent behind him, on the day of a NATO leaders' summit in Ankara, Turkey, July 8, 2026.
US President Donald Trump speaks as he hosts a back-to-school-themed event to highlight his administration's education policies, in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, August 24, 2026; illustrative.

Trump: All mines cleared from Hormuz, Space Force watching nuclear sites, strait

Fans take pictures with a Lego World Cup trophy as they attend a watch party for the France vs Spain FIFA World Cup Semifinal match at Rockefeller Center on July 14, 2026 in New York City.

Lego sales rise as World Cup products draw new customers, despite Iran war raising cost of plastics

An Iranian flag flutters in the wind as ships remain anchored in the Strait of Hormuz on May 16. Negotiations between the US and Iran over opening this critical waterway have largely stalled.

Iran made billions of dollars, bypassed sanctions amid US blockade, top official Rezaee claims


Iran has legal right to manage Strait of Hormuz, supreme leader's military advisor says

Trump said the Iran blockade will remain until a deal is signed, as Tehran claimed control over the Strait of Hormuz was needed for security.

Vessels are anchored off the coast of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on May 21, 2026; illustrative.

Iran is consolidating control of Hormuz with checkpoints, diplomatic deals, and fees

With Iran now in de facto control of the strait, the system can involve government-to-government arrangements, intense vetting by the Iranian government, and sometimes fees in exchange for passage.

 A drone view shows the Malta-flagged tanker Agios Fanourios I, an oil tanker that sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, arriving in Iraq's territorial waters off Basra, Iraq, April 17, 2026.

Islamic regime launches Persian Gulf Strait Authority, ships reportedly start paying tolls

Ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz now face tolls and strict Iranian oversight as Tehran launches the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, with JPMorgan forecasting 11‑figure annual revenue from tolls.

Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, May 4, 2026.

Shippers Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM suspend Cuba bookings after US executive order

Shipping giants CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd have suspended all bookings to and from Cuba until further notice, they said separately on Sunday, with both citing a US executive order issued on May 1.

Hapag-Lloyd sign on a container ship at the Valparaiso port, Chile, January 11, 2024.

Pentagon considering renaming Iran war 'Operation Sledgehammer' if ceasefire fails - report

A new operation name could allow the Trump administration to distinguish renewed strikes from Operation Epic Fury, NBC reported.

US Chair of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Dan Caine, addresses the Senate Appropriations Committee on the Pentagon's budget request, May 12, 2026; illustrative.

Tanker struck by drone off coast of Doha after Qatari ship breaks Hormuz blockade

Iranian lawmakers have said they are drafting a bill to formalize Iran's management of the Strait of Hormuz, with clauses including forbidding passage to vessels of "hostile states."

Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, May 4, 2026.

US targets Iraq oil official and militias with sanctions for aiding Iran

The U.S. imposed sanctions on Thursday on Iraq's deputy oil minister and militias over support for Iran, the Treasury Department said.

Drone view of oil tanker HELGA berthed at one of Iraq's southern offshore oil terminals near Basra as it prepares to load crude oil, becoming the second vessel to arrive since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, April 24, 2026.

Iran can last for months under US Strait of Hormuz blockade, US officials say - report

“The leadership has gotten more radical, determined, and increasingly confident they can outlast US political will and sustain domestic repression to check any resistance,” one US official said.

A map showing the Strait of Hormuz is seen in this illustration taken June 22, 2025.

Iran’s aging tankers used for oil reserves as blockade strains storage capacity

The vessel's commission suggests that Iran’s energy sector and oil storage capacity are facing a crisis, as the US Navy continues to block the passage of tankers carrying Iranian oil out of the Gulf.

A picture taken on March 12, 2017, shows a view of an oil facility in the Khark Island, on the shore of the Gulf.

US Navy strikes Iranian-flagged ship trying to break Strait of Hormuz blockade from Gulf of Oman

The Iranian-flagged oil tanker was struck by 20 mm cannon fire from a jet launched by the US Navy, US CENTCOM said on Wednesday. 

An F/A-18E Super Hornet launches from the flight deck of the US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln during the Operation Epic Fury attack on Iran April 1, 2026.