Trump's Iran Blockade Not Working as Multiple Ships Pass Through [View all]
Source: Newsweek
Published. Apr 14, 2026 at 10:56 AM EDT. updated. Apr 14, 2026 at 12:04 PM EDT
At 10 a.m. ET on Monday, the U.S. navy began its blockade of Iranian ports, aimed at the Iranian tankers and the other Iran-friendly ships which have managing to traverse the Strait of Hormuz. Trump had been demanding Iran open the international waterway, which usually sees the transit of one-quarter of the world's seaborne oil trade.
Since the war has begun though, traffic has plunged 90 percent, sparking global supply panic and rising oil and fuel prices. Following the breakdown of talks between U.S. and Iranian negotiators on Sunday, Trump announced the U.S. would blockade the already impacted strait to retaliate against Iran. But it doesn't appear to be working.
In the first 24 hours since the operation began, at least seven ships have made it through including four tankers linked to Iran. One was a Chinese-owned vessel sanctioned by the U.S. in 2023 for carrying Iranian oil. That was spotted on the other side of the Strait in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday.
Along with question as to how the U.S. would feasibly police the strait in this way, there are also questions around who this is aimed at and why. Many have interpreted the U.S. blockade as being aimed at Iran's shadow fleet which carries oil supplies many suspect go to China- the destination for nearly all Iran's oil exports.
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/trump-iran-blockade-not-working-as-chinese-ship-and-others-pass-through-11825038
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