Trump orders long-term Iran oil blockade
Shafaq News- Washington
US President Donald Trump has directed aides to prepare for an “extended” blockade of Iran, opting against renewed military escalation, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing US officials.
Trump views sustained pressure as less risky than strikes or withdrawal, with the strategy aimed at restricting Iran’s oil exports and access to shipping routes. The plan targets roughly 2 million barrels per day of Iranian exports and centers on the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about a fifth of global oil flows, where traffic has been sharply disrupted.
He also remains unwilling to drop demands that Iran suspend uranium enrichment for at least 20 years, the report added, while Iran has told mediators it needs several days to consult Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei before submitting a revised proposal to resume talks.
Mohammad Akbarzadeh, a political affairs official in the naval wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), separately warned that Iran is ready to deploy “new capabilities” if the US “miscalculates” and launches another attack. Speaking in Minab, where US-Israeli strikes killed over 170 schoolchildren, he stressed that IRGC forces are on full alert, could disable large aircraft carriers, and may activate additional tools across allied fronts.
