Explainer
What to Know About the US Blockade of the Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz has become a flashpoint since US and Israel began strikes on Iran six weeks ago.
Source: Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2026Frustrated by Iran’s unwillingness to give up its stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump is trying to force the issue. The US military announced that it had imposed a full blockage of Iran’s southern coastline, including traffic from there through the Strait of Hormuz, as of April 13.
The narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the wider world has become a flashpoint since the US and Israel began strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. Tehran tightened its grip on the corridor in response, all but closing off a vital thoroughfare and threatening economies far beyond the Middle East.