Trump says Navy will blockade Hormuz

President Donald Trump said on April 12 that the United States Navy will begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz unless Iran reopens the waterway. (abc7ny.com) Trump said he would suspend a planned U.S. bombing attack for two weeks if Iran allows shipping to move again through the strait. He set a Tuesday evening deadline and said retaliation would follow if Iran does not comply. (abc7ny.com) The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow sea lane between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea. In the first half of 2025, about 20.9 million barrels a day of oil moved through it, equal to about 20 percent of global petroleum liquids consumption and roughly one-quarter of seaborne oil trade. (eia.gov) The same route also carried about one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas trade in 2023, according to the United States Energy Information Administration. That makes any military move there a direct threat to oil, gas, tanker insurance and shipping rates. (eia.gov) The Navy force most directly tied to the strait is the United States Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain. Naval Forces Central Command says its mission in the region includes maritime security operations across the Fifth Fleet area, which covers the Gulf and nearby chokepoints. (cusnc.navy.mil) Washington has increased patrols around Hormuz before without declaring a blockade. In 2023, United States Central Command said the Fifth Fleet was rotating more ships and aircraft through the area after Iran seized merchant vessels. (centcom.mil) Trump framed the new step as an answer to Iran’s restrictions on traffic through the strait during the current war. CNBC reported he said the blockade would stop Iran from policing the passage and profiting while other economies absorb the disruption. (cnbc.com) The immediate question is whether a blockade would mean escorting commercial ships, stopping Iranian vessels, or warning insurers and shippers that the route is under United States control. Trump’s public statement outlined the threat and the deadline, but not the rules of engagement or the size of the naval force. (abc7ny.com) Shipping data cited by Reuters showed three fully loaded supertankers passed through Hormuz on April 11, suggesting some traffic was still moving even as the confrontation escalated. That leaves traders and Gulf governments watching whether the United States deadline changes actual vessel movements this week. (usatoday.com)