Khaberni - With the initiation of the American maritime blockade on Iranian ports, the Middle East crisis enters a new phase that can be described as "the battle of the blockade", which may see military strikes from time to time, with expectations that the war will not return to the previous level before the last ceasefire.
But.. how will the blockade work?
The American military has announced that it has begun imposing a blockade on all ships heading to or coming from Iranian ports, including those located outside the Strait of Hormuz, along the Sea of Oman. Conversely, ships headed to non-Iranian ports will not be intercepted, indicating that the measure is more limited than what President Donald Trump previously implied when he talked about a complete closure of the strait.
Analysts confirm, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal, that the widespread deployment of the U.S. Navy near the Strait of Hormuz gives Washington the ability to choke navigation movement and intercept oil tankers. The aircraft carrier «USS Abraham Lincoln» in the Arabian Sea serves as a potential operations base for conducting inspection and interception operations. The United States also possesses destroyers equipped with guided missiles that can be used to disrupt or direct the movement of oil tankers, in addition to their role in countering any potential air attacks from Iran.
Washington may also resort to using the Coast Guard or special operations forces to execute ship detentions, but the fate of the intercepted ships remains unclear so far.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the additional American forces deployed in the region are ready to resume fighting if Iran breaches the truce. These forces include fighter jets, fuel tankers, other warplanes, as well as warships and Marines aboard amphibious assault ships. The number of American forces in the region amounts to about 40,000 soldiers, with some being repositioned away from bases close to Iran since the escalation began.
