Donald Trump’s naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is unraveling after dozens of Iranian vessels secretly slipped past US surveillance, even as the regime tightened its grip on the critical oil passageway by attacking three tankers.
Approximately 34 Iranian oil tankers have slipped through the blockade, with 19 vessels exiting the Persian Gulf past Trump’s navy and another 15 ships entering from the Arabian Sea toward Iran, according to the Financial Times.
Six of those tankers were smuggling Iranian crude oil totaling 10.7 million barrels, estimated to be worth approximately $910 million in revenue for the regime.
The report follows Iran’s seizure of two cargo ships Wednesday morning in the strait, after attacking those vessels and a third, claiming the ships had failed to comply with the regime’s demands.
Trump announced Tuesday he would extend the ceasefire but continue the American naval blockade of Iranian ports, as a way of exerting pressure on the Islamic Republic to reopen the vital waterway.
As reports of Iranian gunfire on three container ships emerged, oil prices rose with Brent crude futures up to $99.21 a barrel. Gas prices in the US have skyrocketed to above $4 a gallon as polling suggests the public is turning against Trump’s war.
The President behind closed doors is reluctant to resume a bombing campaign on Iran and is hopeful economic pressure will be enough to bring Tehran back to the table, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Senior officials say Trump seemed wary about prolonging the conflict because of how deeply unpopular it is with the American public.
Trump’s naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is unraveling after dozens of Iranian vessels secretly slipped past US surveillance, even as the regime tightened its grip on the critical oil passageway by attacking three tankers
Iran seized two cargo ships on Wednesday morning after attacking them as well as a third in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing the vessels of being ‘non-compliant’ with the regime’s demands
Approximately 34 Iranian oil tankers have slipped through the blockade, with 19 vessels exiting the Persian Gulf past Trump’s navy and another 15 ships entering from the Arabian Sea toward Iran
The Daily Mail has contacted the White House for comment.
Iran’s latest attack on oil tankers trying to move through the strait comes in response to Trump’s seizure of a Tehran-linked vessel earlier this week.
Trump announced on Sunday that the US Navy fired on, disabled, and seized the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska in the Gulf of Oman.
The President claimed the ship ignored several warnings while attempting to breach the naval blockade. After disabling the it’s engine, US Marines took control of the vessel.
Trump later bragged about the cargo seized by the US aboard the ship, calling it a ‘gift from China.’
China, the largest buyer of Iranian oil, has been permitted by Tehran to continue transiting vessels through the strait since the start of the war, alongside select tankers bound for Pakistan and India.
The regime vowed to retaliate against the attack and claimed they still maintained control of the strait despite the blockade.
Top Iranian officials compared Trump’s action to ‘armed piracy’ and vowed to ignore US requests for ceasefire discussions.
Top Iranian officials compared Trump’s action to ‘armed piracy’ and vowed to ignore US requests for ceasefire discussions
Trump later bragged about the cargo seized by the US aboard the ship, calling it a ‘gift from China’
The regime’s semi-official news agency Tasnim said the two seized vessels were ‘non-compliant’, adding that the ships had ‘endangered maritime security by operating without the necessary permits’.
Both ships were earlier struck by the IRGC in a clear escalation of hostilities, as the Islamic regime continues to claim ownership over the international oil passage.
‘The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval force this morning identified and stopped in the Strait of Hormuz two violating ships,’ the Guards said in a statement.
‘The two offending ships… were seized by the IRGC’s naval forces and directed to the Iranian coast.’
The Guards further warned against any action against the regulations imposed by the Islamic republic in the strait ‘as well as activities contrary to the safe passage’ through the waterway.
