Blockade

Iran made billions of dollars, bypassed sanctions amid US blockade, top official Rezaee claims

"In the past month or two, we sold seventy million barrels of oil," he said. "Now every day we sell oil to American ships on that side, as much as we produce."

An Iranian flag flutters in the wind as ships remain anchored in the Strait of Hormuz on May 16. Negotiations between the US and Iran over opening this critical waterway have largely stalled.
 Iranian flag with stock graph and an oil pump jack miniature model are seen in this illustration taken October 9, 2023.

Iranian oil supplies to China tighten as US blockade cuts Tehran's crude exports

 Israeli president Isaac Herzog at a memorial ceremony for former prime minister Menahem Begin, in Jerusalem, March 7, 2022.

Can we all agree on zero tolerance for all political violence, even among our allies? - opinion

US President Donald Trump's Truth Social post declaring Strait of Hormuz a new US territory, August 18, 2026.

Trump declares Strait of Hormuz as 'new US territory,' day after MoU deadline expires


The new Great Game of corridors will be decided in Haifa - opinion

In the world now coming, nations will not merely choose routes: they will choose sides.

View of the Port of Haifa and the surrounding area in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, July 6, 2026.

'A glass house fearing stones': Do Yemen's Houthis have the capacity to wage a multi-front war?

As tensions in the region escalate, including a renewal of fighting between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, analysts question whether the Houthis’ capabilities and regional alliances can sustain a prol

Members of Houthi security force stand guard as Houthi supporters rally against the Saudi-led coalition's restrictions on Houthi-controlled areas, which the group describes as a blockade, in Sanaa, Yemen, July 17, 2026.

How America can actually win the war against Iran - opinion

If America wants a faster, more decisive path to victory, it must stop focusing only on what Iran can lose and target what the regime fears most.

Motorists drive their vehicles past a political billboard featuring US President Donald Trump and the Strait of Hormuz along Valiasr Square in Tehran on May 26.

Blockades and fees: Why are the US’s actions in Hormuz legal while Iran’s are not? - interview

Though US President Donald Trump has since abandoned the idea, he suggested that vessels should pay a 20% fee on all cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for US military protection.

The Epaminondas ship is seen during seizure by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran, in this image obtained by Reuters on April 24, 2026.

‘I want to be reimbursed’: How will Gulf nations receive Trump’s push for protection payments?

“Trump is transactional, always looking for where the money is. He's a businessman; he admits it, and he's not ashamed of it; he's proud of it. The Gulf States understood that from the beginning."

US President Donald Trump speaks at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in front of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 14, 2025.

Renewed US blockade on Iranian ports in Strait of Hormuz closer pushes region closer to open war

Initially, the US undertook limited targeted counterstrikes at Iranian assets around Hormuz to convince Iran to back down.

Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) Navy Adm. Brad Cooper testifies during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 14, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Libyan forces detain 10 Gaza land convoy activists at Sirte checkpoint

Activists from Spain, Poland, Italy, Argentina, Uruguay, Portugal, Tunisia, and the USA attempted to cross a checkpoint at Sirte on their way to Gaza, but were allegedly arrested by security forces.

A convoy of jeeps of Israeli travellers drive across the Basalt lands in the Eastern desert of Jordan on November 23, 2018.

Iran has legal right to manage Strait of Hormuz, supreme leader's military advisor says

Trump said the Iran blockade will remain until a deal is signed, as Tehran claimed control over the Strait of Hormuz was needed for security.

Vessels are anchored off the coast of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on May 21, 2026; illustrative.

Iran is consolidating control of Hormuz with checkpoints, diplomatic deals, and fees

With Iran now in de facto control of the strait, the system can involve government-to-government arrangements, intense vetting by the Iranian government, and sometimes fees in exchange for passage.

 A drone view shows the Malta-flagged tanker Agios Fanourios I, an oil tanker that sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, arriving in Iraq's territorial waters off Basra, Iraq, April 17, 2026.

Islamic regime launches Persian Gulf Strait Authority, ships reportedly start paying tolls

Ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz now face tolls and strict Iranian oversight as Tehran launches the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, with JPMorgan forecasting 11‑figure annual revenue from tolls.

Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, May 4, 2026.