U.S. Blockade Draws New Red Lines in Strait of Hormuz Crisis

The United States is moving to blockade maritime traffic tied to Iran, marking a sharp escalation in the Strait of Hormuz crisis and introducing a new layer of risk for global shipping.

Following the collapse of weekend negotiations in Islamabad, President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces would begin blockading maritime traffic tied to Iran, including vessels entering or exiting Iranian ports, while warning that ships paying “tolls” to Iran could face interdiction on the high seas.

“No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas,” Trump said on social media, adding that U.S. forces