US Tightens Hormuz Blockade
The United States has intensified its naval blockade of Iranian ports by redirecting a total of 55 commercial vessels, underscoring the deadlock in efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as President Donald Trump signals a preference for economic pressure over renewed military action and Israel simultaneously rejects his latest Gaza proposal.
U.S. Central Command reports that American forces had turned away 55 ships as of Sunday, an increase of 20 from the previous week, while also disabling two vessels and boarding two others to enforce compliance.
The strait, which previously handled roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade and a fifth of global liquefied natural gas, has remained heavily constrained for more than five months since the conflict escalated in February. Shipping traffic fell to just eight confirmed crossings on one recent Friday, according to data from tracker Kpler, reflecting persistent caution among operators.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated there was no possibility of restarting negotiations while the United States continues what Tehran describes as violations of a June memorandum of understanding without providing compensation. He confirmed that Iranian demands—including an end to the naval blockade and sanctions, withdrawal of American troops from the region, payment of war reparations and the release of frozen assets—had been conveyed through intermediaries. Talks with Oman on defining transit routes have advanced to a final stage, Araghchi said, though any such arrangement would not reopen the waterway itself. Oman described the discussions as positive and constructive while calling for a halt to attacks on vessels.
Trump, speaking to Axios, indicated Washington was taking a restrained approach. “We are low keying it,” he said. “We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money.” The president shared a chart on Truth Social illustrating the sharp decline in the Iranian rial’s value, captioned with references to the currency as “trash.” Iranian state media has circulated a draft parliamentary plan that would bar U.S. and Israeli ships from the strait and impose penalties equivalent to 20 percent of cargo value on violators.
Oil markets have reacted to the continued uncertainty, with Brent crude futures rising nearly 1 percent to around $84 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate gaining about 0.6 percent. Analysts at ING Bank maintained a forecast for Brent to average $80 this quarter on the assumption of eventual normalization, while warning of substantial risk if distrust deepens. Iranian strikes in the strait and Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, including a claimed assault on a Saudi-linked oil refinery and a Yemeni port that killed seven and wounded 30, have further discouraged shippers. The United Arab Emirates reported an Iranian missile strike on an Abu Dhabi National Oil Company tanker attempting to transit the waterway.
