CENTCOM: U.S. Blockade Fully Implemented,’ Halting 90% of Iran’s Sea Trade
CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper: “In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, U.S. forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea.”
As the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports entered its third day, the Navy brought Iran’s maritime trade to a standstill, further consolidating maritime superiority in the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. naval vessels are on patrol in the Gulf of Oman as CENTCOM continues to execute a U.S. blockade on ships entering and departing Iranian ports. U.S. forces are present, vigilant, and ready to ensure compliance. pic.twitter.com/dnHR2oz0ZN
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 15, 2026
“In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, U.S. forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea,” Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, said in a statement released late Tuesday.
Cutting off Iran’s maritime access effectively puts the regime under a trade embargo. “An estimated 90% of Iran’s economy is fueled by international trade by sea,” Adm. Cooper continued. “In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, U.S. forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea.”
Statement from Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander: pic.twitter.com/dJxKJcEcmO
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 15, 2026
President Trump, on Truth Social, indicated that Chinese oil tankers would be exempt from the blockade, provided Beijing does not supply military aid to Iran.
India, under pressure from the Trump administration to wean off cheap Russian oil, may feel the impact. “Earlier this month, India resumed purchases of Iranian oil and gas after a seven-year hiatus, having secured safe passage for its ships through the strait from Tehran, under a temporary U.S. waiver,” CNBC News reported.
“China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also – And the World. This situation will never happen again. They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran…” – President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/g2LbmMJS5a
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 15, 2026
President Trump ordered a blockade after the Iranian negotiators refused to accept his terms over the weekend talks in Islamabad, Pakistan. Tehran was planning to extort money from countries trying to get their ships and tankers through the waterway. Around 20% of the world’s oil supplies passed through the Hormuz Strait before the war. On Friday, the BBC reported that Iran had proposed to “levy a fee in return for safe passage” of vessels passing through the international waterway.
IRGC threatens to unleash Yemen’s Houthis, block the Red Sea Strait
Initially dismissing President Trump’s blockade as a bluff, the Iranian regime appears to be feeling the heat. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatened to close the Bab al-Mandeb, a Red Sea chokepoint off the Houthi-controlled coast of Yemen.
Israel’s Ynetnews reported:
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced Wednesday that Tehran would not allow the import or export of goods through the Persian Gulf, the nearby Gulf of Oman and the Red Sea unless the United States lifts the blockade it imposed earlier this week around the Strait of Hormuz.
Ali Abdollahi, commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya emergency headquarters, said the measures would be “firm and decisive” steps to protect Iran’s national interests and sovereignty.
Iran does not border the Red Sea, and the threat to disrupt shipping there appeared to signal that Tehran could seek to reactivate Yemen’s Houthi rebels, its regional allies, to attack maritime traffic.
In late March, Iran’s Houthi proxy terrorist group entered the war with great jihadist fanfare by firing a few ballistic missiles at Israel. However, their initial enthusiasm to fight on behalf of Iran appears to have fizzled out.
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Comments
Never try to bluff PRESIDENT Trump….
No. I’ve been informed by none other than the WSJ that Trump is a TACO and Chinese tankers are running the strait at will. How can this be
Well, they are liars…
Not 100% correct. Trump is allowing Chinese tankers through as long as they get their oil from UAE or Oman. Chinese tankers are not allowed to get their oil from Iran. This allows us to both do China a “favor” and demonstrate that we now control their supply.
This is a good idea because China is so dependent on middle eastern oil. Remember, Pearl Harbor happened when Japan was cut off from all oil with a blockage and their economy was going to crash in 6 months. Definitely not justifying their attack, but desperate countries do desperate things. Better to let China know they’re now our bitch and not make them desperate enough to attack.
OPEN THE EFFIN STRAIT YOU CRAZY BA-wait what
It is more than apparent that you cannot understand why this blockade was a brilliant, game changing counter to the Iranian piracy. But the Iranians understand. That’s why they’re begging to resume talks. Why you insist on embarrassing yourself is more of a mystery but democrats are doing a lot of that these days.
Trump turned the Iranian “closure of the Strait” into an American blockade of Iranian ports. Iran, no doubt, believed that during its closure of the Strait, only Iranian ships could pass. Guess again. Other nations’ ships may not be passing through the Strait, but neither are Iran’s ships, putting what may have been unanticipated pressure directly on Iran when it thought it held a winning hand. Raised and called. Well played.
I did not ask.
Bluesky needs to keep better control on its TDS deranged. There should be strict liability for letting them escape and comment elsewhere.
Bravo!
Interesting note: Monday/tuesday morning there was a lot of media coverage of how Rich Starry, a china flagged ship, ran the blockade (or: that they turned around and were allowed to pass because their last stop was UAE loading chemicals).
All false… Rich Starry was halted, turned around, and now sits at anchor off the Iranian coast. The ship was spoofing their signal. The US Navy was not fooled.
The media was getting all hot and moist at the thought of China running the blockade 🤣🤣
Question: If Chinese ships were allowed to pass the Strait into the gulf and take on oil from a source on the Arabian Peninsula, would Iran attack its ally and benefactor’s ships as they attempted to transit the Strait on its way out of the gulf? Upon figuring out the scheme, would it attack inbound Chinese ships?
I’m asking this because allowing China access to Arabian oil would tend to defuse the potential for bad situations caused by stopping Chinese ships and potential unanticipated consequences of cutting them off from a source of oil. (Recall that the Japanese attack on the US was, at least in part, triggered for having been cut off from raw materials that the US had been providing.)
I think it would end an about as badly for the Chinese as it did for the Japanese.
I suspect the Chinese took note of how poorly their tier 1 military equipment did in the opening days of this years and last years operations. Further more I suspect it’s probably in Chinas best interests to negotiate their way out of any issues with America given Trump has proven for anyone capable of running two or more brain cells together not to be a man to be doubted.
Iran’s military is equipped by China?
Giving a pass to china and india. both countries have large navies. Let them pony up some ships to assist at least. The china pass is particularly galling considering how the consistently act towards us in both words and deeds.
China is part of the problem but let’s be honest here. After the abysmal performance of some of China’s best military equipment in the opening days of Epic Fury having the Chinese Navy there probably wouldn’t do anything? 🤔
The theory is that China would never sell Iran their BEST military equipment.
Like Russia right 🤣🤣
“They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran…” Don’t trust but verify anyway.
So apparently the Euroweenies were trying to ‘negotiate’ with Iran to give them access to the Strait and effectively promising that the US would back off.
Trump is sending them a message – that’s not going to fly.
Weather Report.
Mostly sunny with a 99% chance of dead Houthis.
I like what you did there! 😂
Can I get a side of meatballs with that?
This is an elegant military solution. It reduces loss of life (thereby quieting Pope Leo XIV), starves the Iranian regime, and demonstrates that the US can impose costs on China.
Pope Leo has reduced himself to being a sock puppet for David Axelrod.
I have more respect for Pope John XII
Suddenly Democrats and the left have found religion 🤣
Your headline is wrong: This blockade has stopped 100%, not 90%, of Iran’s Sea Trade.
The quote you include in the article is: “An estimated 90% of Iran’s economy is fueled by international trade by sea,”
And note that we are blocking ALL of Iran’s ports, including those south of the Strait of Hormuz.
Your reading comprehension is terrible.
Iran has access to the Caspian Sea. So, 90% of total sea trade may be correct. While 100% of sea trade on the Strait of Hormoz side is also correct.
https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2026/04/15/bessent-delivers-another-powerful-blow-to-iran-n2201332
Starting to feel like the mooolahs really f99ked up by underestimating Trump as badly as they have.
Which also highlights the absolute f88kery of the Europeans to have tried to talk directly with the Iranians (most likely about how much they would pay them to allow oil tankers through the straights).
It really does seem that even through Trump is trying to fix something that SHOULD have been fixed decades ago, Europe, the left and Democrats are doing their upmost to undermine the ongoing operations because apparently the worst thing that could EVER happen is Trump being right…not the f99king moolahs getting the bomb!!
Absolute intellectual pygmies!!
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