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News & Current Events Apr 15, 2026 at 12:22 AM

US destroyer interdicts two oil tankers attempting to leave Iran, official says

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Mana_Seeker Apr 15, 2026 +775
Excerpt "WASHINGTON, April 14 (Reuters) - A U.S. destroyer interdicted ​two oil tankers attempting to leave Iran on Tuesday, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump's blockade went into ‌effect, and instructed them to turn around, a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The ships had left Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman and were contacted by the warship via radio communication, the official said. It was unclear whether any further warnings were given."
775
run_midnight Apr 15, 2026 +316
>Central Command said no ships have made it past the blockade since it went into effect on ‌Monday at ⁠10 a.m. in Washington (1400 GMT).
316
Dark_World_Blues Apr 15, 2026 +325
The blockade is only for ships going to Iran or coming from Iran.
325
Aggravating-Tax561 Apr 15, 2026 +196
It’s crazy that we have a president that we all just accept we don’t listen to his official statements since he always just says shit that isn’t true/ impossible to accomplish
196
whyyunozoidberg Apr 15, 2026 +44
The stock market is at all time highs. The only thing that matters is what Trump says/feels.
44
footpole Apr 15, 2026 +44
If I’m locked into a cage with a pack of deranged chimps then I’m going to follow their body language and go along so I survive until they open the door in the morning.
44
Hallow_Chef Apr 15, 2026 +5
Five Nights at Curious George’s
5
Gunslingermomo Apr 15, 2026 +15
I read an article from Forbes yesterday about how the stock market is conditioned to anticipate Trump to TACO. So it's up after he says something deranged bc they expect a profit after he backs down and things rebound. Forbes is a garbage source but they tend to sane wash and lean a little conservative imo so when they say that it makes me think most people are accepting this is how it is.
15
ollie432 Apr 15, 2026 +14
Counter point, the market has just realised he is a terrible global strategist and completely full of it. He’s got no cards to play and is just trying to save face at this point.
14
whyyunozoidberg Apr 15, 2026 +3
Even if you're right it doesn't matter. Line go up.
3
cedarvhazel Apr 15, 2026 +28
Yeah it is mate. It’s also crazy her got voted in at all. Shame on the USA.
28
Different-Group1603 Apr 15, 2026 +3
Twice btw. He was voted in twice. No one to blame but themselves.
3
costigan95 Apr 15, 2026 +14
That becomes clear if you read for more than 2 min, but there have been terrible comms as to what the blockade entails.
14
Aggravating-Tax561 Apr 15, 2026 +23
"Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz” -The Commander in Chief of the US military
23
footpole Apr 15, 2026 +3
To be fair if it takes them two minutes to read that then I understand how they get confused.
3
hiricinee Apr 15, 2026 +8
Or ones that paid the toll to Iran Though if Trump really wants to do 5d chess, as part of the peace deal the US and Iran start a joint venture to troll the strait.
8
RamblinGamblinWilly Apr 15, 2026 +6
You jest, but he suggested that seriously
6
hiricinee Apr 15, 2026 +3
Why not? The world seems like they won't do anything about the Iranians closing it, the US has the naval force to close it also, so just team up and extort the world until someone does something about it. Even if the US and Iran hate each other's guts its win/win.
3
MercantileReptile Apr 15, 2026 +5
The World won't have a choice but to do something about two months from now. When price control via reserves gives out. Eventually, the fertiliser prices will also lead to localised famine risks and price difficulties. Step one will be to get the US to go home. For example, by threatening their bases, dotted around the world. Eventually, talks with Iran. With an actual goal of peace, not whatever nonsense Vance practiced in Islamabad. Forcing other's hands will likely not result in the intended result. Least of all when the US is the aggressor.
5
Aggravating-Tax561 Apr 15, 2026 +2
The US faces the obvious consequences of their war that they didn’t coordinate with anyone ahead of time, says they don’t need any help cause they are the best in the world, then begs and cries for the world to help when they come up short. The US has failed to meet their military and diplomatic objectives, and are now upset the people they have been insulting/ threatening for a year and a half aren’t bailing them out.
2
New_year_New_Me_ Apr 15, 2026 +9
That would actually be hilarious. Then every conservative in America would be like "what, Iran has been a great ally to us ever since Trump ripped up Obama's awful deal!"
9
Mana_Seeker Apr 15, 2026 +35
I'm surprised the Iranians haven't tried firing a missile at those ships yet You reckon the ships are out of range, Iran is running out of stock/capacity or they're reserving this escalation option still?
35
TheSwordItself Apr 15, 2026 +59
You're not hitting a ddg going 30 knots with a ballistic missile unless you're the luckiest SOB alive. You need guided missiles. 
59
MrDerpGently Apr 15, 2026 +13
Also, why waste shots on hardened naval vessels. Unless they can protect tankers from drones, the destroyers aren't doing much good.
13
UltraMegaboner69420 Apr 15, 2026 +12
Shh... let the civvies be arm chair generals
12
BOPSurfcasting1 Apr 15, 2026 +3
Civvie arm chair general here, it's definitely possible to hit a cargo ship with a ballistic missile.... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VZwm20\_UXk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VZwm20_UXk)
3
TheSwordItself Apr 15, 2026 +14
ASBM's are guided missiles
14
lifting_cardio Apr 15, 2026 +4
Civvie arm chair general reporting in, drones have been keeping US ships at fair distance from the shoreline. Not flying drones either. Irans use of aquatic drones is insane. Feel free to catch some clips and you can become a more successful anti arm chair general civvie also.
4
[deleted] Apr 15, 2026 +6
[deleted]
6
Schmarsten1306 Apr 15, 2026 +2
Which will result in nothing, again
2
icryinmysleep12 Apr 15, 2026 +4
they are around 400 kms away from Irans coast so basically they could only reach them by drones and not the guided missiles they use for the strait, ballistic missiles are not going to be used for that
4
Saturn_winter Apr 15, 2026 +84
meanwhile there's been other articles of a couple of chinese ships making it through, so is there some kind of stipulation that allows both of these things to be true, or is someone lying?
84
run_midnight Apr 15, 2026 +272
Those ships were from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, not Iran.
272
Saturn_winter Apr 15, 2026 +32
ah that would do it, thank you :)
32
boookworm0367 Apr 15, 2026 +67
It's not your fault. I saw several clickbaits that said "Chinese ships transited the straight". They conveniently left out the part about what port they departed from. Plus Donny Dumpsterfire made it confusing when he said the US was blockading the straights. It was US CENTCOM that clarified it was only ships transiting to and from Iran that were affected.
67
csprofathogwarts Apr 15, 2026 +13
But, why did Iran let them leave without paying toll? And if they paid toll, wouldn't they come under this blockade?
13
nekonight Apr 15, 2026 +10
Probably because of the ceasefire. If they start shooting again its open season for the US and Israel again. 
10
smythy422 Apr 15, 2026 +4
There is nothing in the notice to mariners that indicates a toll payment would make the ship subject to the blockade. This part was indicated by Trump, but I don't think they have any reasonable way to implement this restriction.
4
musci12234 Apr 15, 2026 +6
If they paid the toll who is going to tell US? China? Iran?
6
Gavangus Apr 15, 2026 +101
Blockade is only in and out of iran - the us is not closing the strait to anyone else
101
whisperedzen Apr 15, 2026 +29
What makes it confusing is that they also stated they would block ships that pay a toll to Iran. As all ships out of the strait are now effectively following Iranian instructions regarding the corridor they must use how do they know those ships did not pay?
29
Bulky_Reveal_1937 Apr 15, 2026 +69
Trump said that. CENTCOM said the blockade is only for ships trying to leave or enter Iranian ports afaik
69
whisperedzen Apr 15, 2026 +28
Erratic as always.
28
BenjaminHamnett Apr 15, 2026 +4
But they said they’d block toll payers right? So the toll is over or being ignored somewhere?
4
Bulky_Reveal_1937 Apr 15, 2026 +3
Trump said that. Trump says… a lot
3
PersonalHospital9507 Apr 15, 2026 +2
Trump is lying about stuff? Isn't he the Commander in Chief and CENTCOM is not executing his orders? Trump said blockade the Strait. I heard him say it.
2
StudySpecial Apr 15, 2026 +8
i'm sure CENTCOM are executing the orders they are given but orders are communicated to them in private through the chain of command, not through some random trump tweet
8
Steamsagoodham Apr 15, 2026 +20
They are not all paying the toll
20
vandergale Apr 15, 2026 +16
How would the US Navy even verify that?
16
[deleted] Apr 15, 2026 +18
[deleted]
18
Domo_Gato_0 Apr 15, 2026 +2
China is also likely providing supplies to Iran so I wouldn't be surprised if there's some sort of mutual agreement between them. I read somewhat that China will be providing MANPADS to Iran which is pretty significant.
2
costabius Apr 15, 2026 +12
they wouldn't. But you've got to say things on TV to keep the plebs happy.
12
Steamsagoodham Apr 15, 2026 +5
Maybe the US has intelligence agencies that are capable of intercepting communications and electronic financial transactions?
5
itsFelbourne Apr 15, 2026 +15
It’s about keeping the toll, if it actually exists, secret and unofficial. Iran can’t standardize any method of collecting tolls that is obvious or recognizable, and can’t use signaling or communication, even internally among its forces, to indicate which ships have paid without the US knowing too. This means that even if any paid, every country will continue to openly deny paying and it will never gain international credibility or become normalized. It keeps it strictly in the realm of illegal extortion and never lets it cross into normal behavior. The US doesn’t need to know who paid to keep it all under the table.
15
Xylus1985 Apr 15, 2026 +25
Articles are fake. Both ships (Rich Starry and Elpis) are still stuck inside the strait based on transponder (though Elpis hasn’t updated for 12 hours). You can search for them on vesselfinder.com directly and see where they are. Neither has left the strait.
25
nvbtable Apr 15, 2026 +12
They crossed the Straits but turned back when they reached the US blockade. The blockade is quite a distance after Hormuz as it also covers East Iran
12
Putrid-Knowledge-445 Apr 15, 2026 +18
They made it through until they hit the US ships, and then they turned back
18
fury420 Apr 15, 2026 +21
> meanwhile there's been other articles of a couple of chinese ships making it through, The ship referenced in the articles I've seen actually made an abrupt U-turn within the strait and has been backtracking since. https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:3722428/mmsi:655150434/imo:9773301/vessel:RICH%20STARRY
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Lokon19 Apr 15, 2026 +8
people are lying. the one that keeps getting mentioned ended up turning around.
8
PlateForeign8738 Apr 15, 2026 +31
Lots of miss information but the US has not let a single Iran ship pass through. They are basically doing what Iran was doing. It seems to be working.
31
Diezelbub Apr 15, 2026 +6
Except threatening to board ships coming from Iranian ports instead of create an ecological disaster for the whole region by sinking oil tankers coming from any other port. Boarding giant, unarmed, slow moving ships with no collatoral damage is pretty easy with the functional navy Iran doesn't have, which is why they cant actually control the straight, they can just turn it into an economic dead zone. The only thing that makes it useful is that is accesses the ocean and that is what they can't guarantee at all - the only important part.
6
BRUTAL_ANAL_SMASHING Apr 15, 2026 +3
Do you just not read any articles you see..?  It’s only for ships to and from Iran.  The strait is open, just like it should have been.  Just now the people who closed it are blocked in.   That’s all it is, a blockade to Iran. You can be under sanctions and they let you through as long as you’re not going to or from an Iranian port. 
3
Saturn_winter Apr 15, 2026 +2
A lot of the time no, I'm just scrolling, that's why I asked lol
2
BRUTAL_ANAL_SMASHING Apr 15, 2026 +3
Yeah it’s just Iran specifically. They even let a ship like I said under US sanctions pass through the strait.  The only thing they care about is Iran atm. 
3
Saturn_winter Apr 15, 2026 +2
Thank you :)
2
myusrnameisthis Apr 15, 2026 +13
Did they stop or just keep going?
13
Fuzzy_Donl0p Apr 15, 2026 +21
answered in the article… “The U.S. official said the two ​tankers were among the six merchant vessels the U.S. Central Command said in a statement earlier on Tuesday had followed orders to "turn around to ​re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman.”
21
Ferrarisimo Apr 15, 2026 +9
Is the US Navy going to open fire on a civilian ship if it doesn’t follow orders?
9
justwolt Apr 15, 2026 +13
No, they would just board and seize it if it came to that
13
Fuzzy_Donl0p Apr 15, 2026 +4
if they’ll bomb a school, if they’ll shoot down a passenger airliner over the same waters, then my hopes wouldn’t be very high for the ship that tries
4
chocolatesmelt Apr 15, 2026 +285
I like to think I’m fairly well educated but I absolutely had to look up what “interdicts” means in this context.
285
Acadia02 Apr 15, 2026 +160
Well thanks for sharing with the class. used to halt actions, such as blocking drug shipments, stopping illegal activities, or restricting public protest, with violation often leading to contempt of court or spiritual sanctions.
160
Hashbrown4 Apr 15, 2026 +111
Shout out to Elite dangerous for teaching me what interdiction means back in the day
111
toiletear Apr 15, 2026 +33
Shout out to Tie Fighter with its interdictor cruisers (or were they destroyers 🤔)
33
Helpful_Equipment580 Apr 15, 2026 +10
Lol I was about to reply that Tie Fighter taught me that word but you beat me to it. They would block hyperspace jumping within a large radius and led to some tense missions.
10
yaboonabi Apr 15, 2026 +90
It means what it sounds like. Shoving d*** into another d***’s space
90
BoneZone05 Apr 15, 2026 +7
And here I thought it was a Chinese finger for a coupla’ dix 😅
7
macrocephalic Apr 15, 2026 +3
Docking.
3
elSpanielo Apr 15, 2026 +31
Is it like docking?
31
Practical_Copy_2057 Apr 15, 2026 +17
More like space docking.
17
silent_boy_2 Apr 15, 2026 +3
Cooper.. spin !!
3
DrxAvierT Apr 15, 2026 +9
It means "forbidding". In French, where the word probably bases from, it's "interdit"
9
orbitalbias Apr 15, 2026 +2
That's enterdicks
2
NotSoSalty Apr 15, 2026 +7
It's just the naval version of interception. Actually I was wrong, it's the LEGAL version of interception.
7
ryan30z Apr 15, 2026 +4
Totally not a word I learned from Star Wars books...
4
Beautiful_Finger4566 Apr 15, 2026 +4
thank you Star Wars... interdictor-class destroyers
4
Dauntless_Idiot Apr 15, 2026 +8
Oxford Dictionary says its North American English which was something I didn't realize. I learned it in first grade and always assumed it was British English given their maritime history. The Atlantic had quite a few high profile interdictions throughout history.
8
Divinicus2nd Apr 15, 2026 +2
It’s from French, one of those numerous words that English took but common people didn’t use.
2
jaysire Apr 15, 2026 +2
I know "jeux interdits", which means "forbidden games" in French. So by extension to "inderdict" someone would be to forbid them (from leaving). Further studies show that "interdicuts" is Latin for "forbidden".
2
barnos88 Apr 15, 2026 +347
Ridiculous situation created by a delusional pedo and has fucked us all.
347
pixar_moms Apr 15, 2026 +86
actual question: if the ships say "we're not involved in the war, we're continuing forward," is it the position of the USA that the destroyer would shoot weapons at a defensless container ship?
86
JX_JR Apr 15, 2026 +95
Yes. That's not the position of the US, that's the position of functionally every nation. That is how blockades work and how blockades have worked for centuries.  It is enshrined in treaties and international law. You ask neutral vessels to stop and be boarded to ensure no contraband or aid for the enemy is getting through and if they try to run the blockade you can assume they are hostile and use force.  [67. Merchant vessels flying the flag of neutral States may not be attacked unless they: (a) are believed on reasonable grounds to be... breaching a blockade, and after prior warning they intentionally and clearly refuse to stop, or intentionally and clearly resist visit, search or capture;](https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/san-remo-manual-1994/article-67-71?activeTab=)
95
OrYouCouldJustNot Apr 15, 2026 +24
But [also](https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/san-remo-manual-1994/article-93-108): .98. Merchant vessels believed on reasonable grounds to be breaching a blockade may be captured. Merchant vessels which, after prior warning, clearly resist capture may be attacked. .99. A blockade must not bar access to the ports and coasts of neutral States. .100. A blockade must be applied impartially to the vessels of all States. .102. The declaration or establishment of a blockade is prohibited if: ... (b) the damage to the civilian population is, or may be expected to be, excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated from the blockade.
24
Initial-Return8802 Apr 15, 2026 +12
This is within the rules then, they're only blockading Iran and applying it to all states who dock in Iranian ports. The other ships won't go because of mines/being unable to ask iran for help navigating
12
Mana_Seeker Apr 15, 2026 +22
No, that's something Iran might do like with the Thai ship that had 3 crew killed The US is more likely to board and seize the ship if ships refuse to turn around, especially if they pose no threat
22
corizano Apr 15, 2026 +33
Who knows what the US is likely to do, they don’t even know at this point
33
genreprank Apr 15, 2026 +19
We straight up confiscated an oil tanker and its cargo from the Venezuela blockade earlier this year. The US is selling (or has sold?) the oil but the funny thing is we have to pay to maintain the vessel now
19
cedarvhazel Apr 15, 2026 +2
You can use the funds from the sale to support the maintenance of the ship- win win or did Trump siphon it off like the oil he stole?
2
Future_Chef_939 Apr 15, 2026 +2
Yeah I've come to the same conclusion after reading these kinds of posts. People keep assuming we have a leadership controlled by "logic"...yet I wouldn't genuinely be suprised if we did something totally out of pocket like shoot at a Chinese tanker or deploy nuclear submarines into the straight. (They might already be there) 
2
Forumbane Apr 15, 2026 +11
Yep US has been blowing up a bunch of ships off south America with no attempt to stop and board them.
11
-spicychilli- Apr 15, 2026 +9
They’ve been blowing up small boats not ships. They will not blow up big commercial vessels. They will board and occupy them, similar to what they do to the Russian ghost fleet
9
cedarvhazel Apr 15, 2026 +4
Semantic aside - the US is blowing up marine vessels with no warnings- they are unpredictable and callous.
4
xitizen7 Apr 15, 2026 +4
Not long ago they were bombing fisherman in the Caribbean 
4
Common-Concentrate-2 Apr 15, 2026 +2
They are just interdicting them and boarding the ship - the as they were doing with shadow fleet ships
2
law_dweeb Apr 15, 2026 +102
Yarrr!
102
redditobserverone Apr 15, 2026 +17
Arrrr MAGA!
17
GeorgeWashingfun Apr 15, 2026 +92
I was told by experts on Listnook that everyone would just ignore Trump's blockade. What happened?
92
pingpong_playa Apr 15, 2026 +28
I don’t actually understand what the U.S. blockade solves.
28
FarSolar Apr 15, 2026 +28
Stops Iran from making money off of oil and blocks a lot of their export/imports I guess. Oil is their main source of revenue and they were making bank by continuing to sell oil while closing the strait for most other ships. Of course, this means there will be even less oil making it to market now.
28
ProteusReturns Apr 15, 2026 +67
Applies pressure to the regime, which depends on oil revenue. The idea is that this hurts Iran more than it hurts everyone else. We're about to see how much hurt various countries are willing to tolerate.
67
External-Goal-3948 Apr 15, 2026 +38
Specifically China. They're going to start putting pressure on Iran to give in or else their economy will start to suffer without oil imports. China needs oil, I believe.
38
pingpong_playa Apr 15, 2026 -2
Isn’t China the leading nation when it comes to renewable energy? By far?
-2
vvav Apr 15, 2026 +34
Surprisingly enough, they actually can be the leader in renewable energy and the leader in oil imports at the same time. The Chinese economy takes a lot of energy to run. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_oil_imports https://www.worldstopexports.com/crude-oil-imports-by-country/
34
Burswode Apr 15, 2026 +16
Plastic, diesel, aviation fuel and synthetic fertilisers all still require crude oil. There is already a supply shortage of certain pvc products in some places
16
shortyman920 Apr 15, 2026 +9
Yes, but doesn’t mean they don’t still need oil for a host of other energy needs.
9
OUsnr7 Apr 15, 2026 +7
Oil isn’t just for energy though and being a renewable leader doesn’t mean they can power their entire economy. It’s my understanding Chinese states also have a ton of politicking that goes on and there are vast distances between where renewable power is generated (the west and north) and where it’s needed (the east and south)
7
External-Goal-3948 Apr 15, 2026 +12
Yeah but I don't think their war machines run on solar.
12
genreprank Apr 15, 2026 +4
Well, Iran was the only country able to get oil out. So they were still making money, and good money due to the increase in oil price. So this stops that. Also, countries were dealing money with Iran in exchange for passage. This blockade punishes countries for doing that. (If they pay the toll, they will still be stuck, so may as well not pay the toll.)
4
barath_s Apr 15, 2026 +3
You have a few errors. Tankers with oil and gas from other Gulf countries like Qatar, UAE, or Iraq were unable to pass the strait of Hormuz thanks to Iran shutting it down. Countries like China and India had to negotiate with Iran to let their tankers from Qatar etc through. It's not just oil & gas from Iran after all. It's oil & gas from any Gulf state. Other than the shadow fleet (mostly Chinese purchases), and local Gulf smuggling, virtually no country was buying oil or has from Iran itself before this war. The US removal of sanctions on Iran was looking to change that (a bit quixotic) While there was certainly chatter about paying Iran for passage, most of the usual suspects have denied paying so far. Certainly india/iran has denied paying Iran for a passage of ~3 Indian tankers from Qatar etc which were let through - but also there was no blanket approval or denial. China is murkier https://www.reuters.com/world/india/iran-touch-with-india-ships-passage-through-strait-hormuz-iranian-envoy-says-2026-04-13/ US centcom clarified that they are only interdicting tankers with oil from Iran itself - so tankers with oil/gas from UAE/Qatar still only have to deal with Iran's veto, though there is still siginificant hazard. And for tankers with oil from Iran, that was mainly local smuggling and the shadow fleet before the US lifted sanctions on Iran - after kicking off the war. But instead of just financial penalties on a country and occasional shadow fleet seizures, the US will militarily board , seize or turn back any such ship taking oil from Iran itself.
3
Soccermad23 Apr 15, 2026 +3
Brings leverage to the table when / if they go back to negotiations.
3
Nice_Category Apr 15, 2026 +27
The daily "This is bad!"  Then it's over, "It's bad that it stopped!" But it didn't really end, "See? He couldn't even stop it!" Then it ends, "OMG, why did it stop?" Once you realize listnook is a bunch of hens clucking, it all makes sense. 
27
Repulsive_Layer1597 Apr 15, 2026 +6
“This is good” “It’s good that it stopped” “See? He didn’t stop it” “OMG, thank god it stopped” What do you think y’all sound like?
6
Tobias---Funke Apr 15, 2026 +6
Googles interdict.
6
bootstrapping_lad Apr 15, 2026 +42
Hey Iran let ships through! Oh you're not gonna? Well then neither are we! That solves it!
42
Settra_Rulez Apr 15, 2026 +190
Iran wasn’t blocking their own ships, so now the US is.
190
Playful_Rip_1280 Apr 15, 2026 +127
It’s insane that so many don’t understand this.
127
TheOriginalBroCone Apr 15, 2026 +38
Because they refuse to understand. Ignorance is bliss
38
lee61 Apr 15, 2026 +3
It is annoying that the detail gets missed. Although I would blame it on the president tweeting out that the straight is just getting blockaded and leaving others to clarify the details.
3
OMG_Alien Apr 15, 2026 +6
The majority of Listnook is American, of course most people don’t understand.
6
packardpa Apr 15, 2026 +75
I mean it may be an effective strategy. It’s literally “2 can play at that game, if you wont let our ships through we wont let your ships through”. Not sure if it will work but at least it makes sense.
75
Soccermad23 Apr 15, 2026 +44
Look, this war was stupid in the first place, but ignoring that, if this is the situation you find yourself in, it’s the right strategy to do (and I’m surprised the US didn’t do it earlier). Why would you let your enemy cripple the global economy while keeping their own economy going?
44
BenjaminHamnett Apr 15, 2026 +16
Seriously. As much as I hate Trump, people would argue and complain if he said the sun would rise tomorrow. Even if this proves to be stupid too, it’s like not even in his top 100 stupid thing he will have done in The last year. If he says the sun will rise doesn’t mean it won’t
16
Amadeus-Zeta Apr 15, 2026 +3
The Iran War hasn’t been on my mind 24/7 and I am by no means a military strategist, but blockading the blockade certainly surprised me. It makes a lot of sense when explained, though (imo). As for not doing it earlier, maybe the US didn’t want to be seen as the ones that closed the strait? Or maybe they didn’t think it would be necessary? Or maybe plans changed? A complaint I have had about Trump since his first presidency is that it feels like he is winging everything, while his supporters say it is all part of his master plan and his detractors say it is incompetency. Every once in awhile it will feel like all the pieces are falling into place, and it is so hard to tell if it was by design or dumb luck. I had thought he might try and use that fact that the US is a net exporter of oil (and now has Venezuela) to coerce allies to push to open the strait. Something like requiring domestic oil companies to sell to US customers at pre-war rates before they could sell to global markets as a requirement for future drilling contracts. This would keep prices low here, further increase the price of oil across the globe, and force other countries to provide military e******. But it sounds like this plan is a lot better for everyone involved, so hopefully it will work out.
3
AndWinterCame Apr 15, 2026 +8
Let's just go ahead and cripple the global economy HARDER.
8
reanima Apr 15, 2026 +2
Yeah im sure out south east asian allies sure love being put in this situation.
2
Airick39 Apr 15, 2026 +3
Naked Gun shit going on.
3
Fit_Cryptographer_59 Apr 15, 2026 +4
I wish. It would be comedy not tragedy.
4
Particular-County277 Apr 15, 2026 +8
What can Trump's navy do, if those ships blatantly ignore him? I really want to know? Especially after he said they should show some courage and just sail on through?
8
itsFelbourne Apr 15, 2026 +87
Extremely unlikely that you’re going to get to find out Commercial ships aren’t big on the idea of confronting military vessels
87
zachxyz Apr 15, 2026 +132
They would board the ship.
132
ColdCauliflour Apr 15, 2026 +79
Board the boats and take control. There are naval warfare units that specialize in this, similar to anti-piracy operations.
79
FutureThought4936 Apr 15, 2026 +10
Did everybody already forget about the raids on the Russian shadow fleet tankers like a month or two ago?
10
ColdCauliflour Apr 15, 2026 +2
Actually I did haha
2
tpfb Apr 15, 2026 +83
Anti-piracy sounds a lot like piracy
83
728766 Apr 15, 2026 +17
Maybe Trump will bring back letters of marque and allow privateers to seize Iranian vessels.
17
xlvi_et_ii Apr 15, 2026 +9
Blackwater/Xe/whatever they call themselves now are probably already advocating for that.
9
aresev6 Apr 15, 2026 +19
Anti-anti-piracy.
19
Mana_Seeker Apr 15, 2026 +12
Anti-Blockade Blockade Club
12
HUGH_JORGAZM Apr 15, 2026 +7
Non compliant VBSS. I did this for two tours in the gulf when Saddam was smuggling oil out of Iraq.
7
marr75 Apr 15, 2026 +9
Same thing they did with the Russian tanker (Marinera/Bella 1) leaving Venezuela. Seized the ship and cargo, dropped the crew off elsewhere (they're generally contractors who might even have provisions in their contacts for what is expected of them and how they'll be compensated if the ship is seized). Did it right in front of the Russian sub tailing it. There's pretty much no military on Earth that can stop the US from projecting force outside of a limited distance from their shore.
9
Colbert2020 Apr 15, 2026 +16
They would be intercepted easily. Tankers are not fast vessels. Even the coast guard could do it.
16
mohawk_67 Apr 15, 2026 +40
Trumps Navy? Lol. Its the US Navy. USA voted Trump in.
40
wompical Apr 15, 2026 +9
They would board the ship and take control and any resistance would be met with violence.
9
Slatemanforlife Apr 15, 2026 +5
Board the ship. Or sink it.
5
ImAjustin Apr 15, 2026 +9
You’re glossing over a key point. It’s the threat that they’ll do something that will stop many ships from going through. The same reason Irans blockade worked. Were they going to actually attack ships? Maybe, maybe not but that threat alone made insuring those ships and going through the strait very risky. Similar situation here.
9
JX_JR Apr 15, 2026 +4
>Were they going to actually attack ships? Maybe, maybe not but that threat alone made insuring those ships and going through the strait very risky.  What the f*** are you talking about "maybe?" Iran's blockade has killed 11 people so far and destroyed multiple ships. They did attack and now families are missing loved ones forever. It wasn't the threat that stopped shipping, it was the death and destruction.  It's insane that none of you bother to even remember what has happened in the last month. 
4
hkric41six Apr 15, 2026 +3
They will board the ship with a specialized unit for exactly that and then they will take control of the ship and detain all the crew.
3
andruszko Apr 15, 2026 +20
Lol sail on through? Those ships get boarded and the cargo is seized, at best. Then the US gets to sell that oil on the open market. Unless you think an oil tanker with no real battle capacity, without trained military on board, is somehow able to stand up to the US fleet?
20
Luciifuge Apr 15, 2026 +24
It’s so wierd, a lot of commenters over the last few days were genuinely think a Chinese oil tanker was gonna ram on through a navy blockade.
24
ProteusReturns Apr 15, 2026 +2
I could understand their anxiety if these were Chinese fishing vessels; those, apparently, have some truly nasty water guns. (/s)
2
TimmyB52 Apr 15, 2026 -1
sounds like piracy
-1
[deleted] Apr 15, 2026 +12
[deleted]
12
rhino369 Apr 15, 2026 +6
Sounds like a blockade. 
6
Ok_Wasabi8793 Apr 15, 2026 +6
Board them, take control of them, own a new ship?
6
sonofabutch Apr 15, 2026 +4
Aye matey, hoist the black flag! 🏴‍☠️
4
joebojax Apr 15, 2026 +5
ready for war with china?
5
radome9 Apr 15, 2026 +5
Why is this downvoted? China is not pleased its oil supply is cut off.
5
aprx4 Apr 15, 2026 +8
Their supply isn't cutoff, their discounted supply is. China won't be sending their navy to Arabian sea to confront US blockade. Maybe they'll e***** a couple of tankers as performative action but that won't really do anything to blockage.
8
thismadhatter Apr 15, 2026 +2
how long before they send a ship rigged to blow up once they board it?
2
itsFelbourne Apr 15, 2026 +2
Blowing up a $100m tanker ship to kill a few marines Got em
2
Lifeisshort555 Apr 15, 2026 +1
The point of the blockade for those do not understand is to cut supply lines to Iran.
1
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