All posts tagged: blockades

U.S. to use new economic tactics on Iran; Navy to relieve carrier

U.S. to use new economic tactics on Iran; Navy to relieve carrier

Published by Sam Flores

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaking with CNBC on Aug. 4th, 2026. CNBC The U.S. will be applying economic measures “that have never been seen on Iran,” according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “It will be a combination of economic isolation like ‌the world has ​never seen before, ​and ​the continued blockade in ‌the Strait of ​Hormuz that will ​keep anything from going in or out of ​the ‌Iranian ports,” Bessent said in an interview with Newsmax, without elaborating further. His statements come as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly said late Thursday stateside that the U.S. military can keep a naval blockade of Iran going “indefinitely.” The Navy will rotate ships in and out “as we have, and we’ll continue to,” Hegseth told reporters. Media reports have said that the U.S. aircraft carrier USS George Washington was headed to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed for over 250 days in the Middle East. Its deployment had been expected to end in May. The George Washington strike group departed Vietnam on Aug. 12, …

Houthi attack kills six in first death in Red Sea since Iran war began

Houthi attack kills six in first death in Red Sea since Iran war began

Published by Sam Flores

The navigation bridge of a sunken vessel is all that is seen at the surface of the water in the Port of Mokha the day after an attack by the Houthis on the city Mokha, held by Yemen’s internationally recognised, Aden-based government on August 10, 2026. Khaled Ziad | Afp | Getty Images Iran-backed Houthi rebels killed six people aboard a cargo ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Tuesday, the first reported fatalities from attacks targeting Red Sea shipping in more than a year. Within hours, U.S. forces said they had fired missiles at a container ship that allegedly attempted to breach Washington’s blockade of Iranian ports in the Gulf of Oman. The twin incidents illustrate how the Iran war, now in its sixth month, is inflicting a widening toll on two of the world’s most critical shipping lanes. And even as diplomats offer vague signs of progress toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz, hostilities between the U.S. and Iran appear to be on the rise. President Donald Trump, in an aggressively hostile Truth …

Why Iran Has the Advantage in the Battle of the Blockades

Why Iran Has the Advantage in the Battle of the Blockades

Published by José Betancourt

The Trump administration’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has made the waterway one more testing ground in a battle of wills. The question isn’t whether Iran or the United States has the more powerful navy, but which country can endure economic pain and military casualties longer—the United States, which has been waging an unpopular war of choice in the Middle East, or the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is fighting for its survival. Since the beginning of the war, Tehran has allowed vessels of its choosing to pay a toll to pass through the strait. In this way, it has been able to continue selling its oil at a high price while also profiting from the tolls. Iran is now demanding that any ship that wants to transit the strait must also deviate from the normal lanes into Iranian waters near Qeshm Island and be inspected by members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. In its counterblockade, the United States is stipulating that no ship that pays a toll will be allowed through. It …

Track Strait of Hormuz ship traffic as Trump blockades Iran ports

Track Strait of Hormuz ship traffic as Trump blockades Iran ports

Published by Sam Flores

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been at a near-standstill for weeks amid the Iran war, sending prices of oil and other key goods soaring. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. President Donald Trump made reopening the strait a condition of the ceasefire with Tehran, but with little change and no deal reached in peace talks, he announced a naval blockade of Iran. NBC News is tracking the daily count of how many ships pass through the strait. Note that exact numbers may be higher; some ships manipulate their GPS trackers during transit. Source link