US eyes indefinite Iran naval blockade amid deepening oil supply crisis

The United States is escalating economic pressure on Iran by threatening an indefinite naval blockade, as ceasefire negotiations stall and global oil supplies face a deepening shortfall. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated that the US military is prepared to sustain a naval presence in the region indefinitely to enforce the blockade, which has already inflicted significant economic damage on Iran.

"Indefinitely the United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we'll rotate ships in and out, as we have, and we'll continue to," Hegseth told reporters during a trip to Panama. This heightened pressure comes after a tentative deal to end the war in June collapsed. Iran has sought to control the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed before the conflict began in February. The strait has seen attacks on vessels, including two from the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company on Thursday evening, which the UAE condemned as Iranian attacks.

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Indefinitely the United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we'll rotate ships in and out, as we have, and we'll continue to.

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has plummeted, with only eight vessels recorded on Tuesday compared to a 10-day average of about 12, and significantly fewer than the 130 to 140 ships seen before the war. US President Donald Trump has asserted "total control" over the strait, a claim Iran disputes, stating it "remains blocked and will not be reopened until Iran's conditions are accepted." These conditions include the removal of economic sanctions and the release of frozen Iranian assets.

The US reimposed its blockade on Iran's shipping and ports in mid-June after a one-month lifting, cutting off Tehran's primary source of hard currency. This compounds earlier losses from wartime strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure. President Trump faces domestic pressure to end the war, with high fuel prices impacting his approval ratings and potentially affecting his party's control of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections. The US has also tightened economic sanctions against Iran.

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The Strait of Hormuz remains blocked and will not be reopened until Iran's conditions are accepted.