U.S. declares blockade ‘fully implemented,’ cutting off Iran’s seaborne trade ‘completely’
In this photo provided by the U.S. Navy, the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) passes through the Strait of Hormuz on November 19, 2019.
Stephanie Contreras-US Navy | Getty Images News | Getty Images
The US blockade of Iranian ports is now over came into full forceTehran has “completely” cut off international maritime trade that powers about 90% of its economy, U.S. Central Command said late Tuesday.
The announcement comes as the White House signals a diplomatic solution to the conflict in the Middle East and discussions about ongoing negotiations with Tehran continue.
Centcom commander Brad Cooper underlined that this was achieved within 36 hours by the order of President Donald Trump and said, “The blockade of Iranian ports was fully implemented while US forces maintained naval superiority in the Middle East.” he said.
“US forces have completely halted economic trade in and out of Iran by sea.”
More than 90 percent of Iran’s $109.7 billion Iran does not have a significant alternative trade route for annual maritime trade transits through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Miad Maleki, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington.
Maleki estimates that the blockade will cost Iran approximately $435 million per day in total economic damage.
The US blockade, which came into effect on Monday after an unstable two-week ceasefire, is more than one thing. 10,000 US soldiersThe U.S. military said there are more than a dozen Navy ships and fighter jets in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
No ships were able to pass the US blockade in the first 24 hours. 6 merchant ships ordered US forces said they had to turn back to re-enter an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman.
Maritime intelligence firm Windward detected at least two ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz on the first full day under active US sanctions, including the US-sanctioned Chinese tanker Rich Starry, which emerged from the Gulf on Tuesday.
“Passage through the Bosphorus remains limited and concentrated among sanctioned, false-flag and high-risk vessels; early sanction signals are now shaping ship behavior,” Windward analysts wrote in the latest report. he said.
Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz, which carried about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply before the war, in retaliation for joint US-Israeli attacks on Iranian territory on February 28.
A US naval blockade could further worsen energy flows through the vital waterway and risk straining Washington’s ties with countries such as China and India, which are among the main buyers of Iranian oil.
China on Tuesday described the US blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz as a “dangerous and irresponsible action” that would further increase tensions in the region.
The International Monetary Fund lowered its interest rate on Tuesday Global growth forecast is 3.1% He warned that the world was drifting towards a “negative scenario” where oil prices could remain around $100 a barrel, down from the 3.3% in his January forecast for 2026.
Signals of a diplomatic solution to the Middle East conflict have put some pressure on oil markets; US crude oil futures for May delivery fell by 0.88% to $90.4 per barrel as of 20:35 GMT. International benchmark Brent futures for June delivery lost 0.31% to $94.47 per barrel.
