Trump Directs Preparation for Long-term Blockade Against Iran
According to The Wall Street Journal, U.S. President Trump has instructed aides to prepare for a long-term blockade against Iran.
Trump has requested the maintenance of the blockade on Iran's ports and energy export channels until Iran proposes an acceptable comprehensive agreement. The blockade has already caused Iran daily economic losses of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Market mechanisms show that global crude oil buyers are accelerating their shift to alternative supplies and futures hedging, with funds moving from Iranian-related assets to Saudi Arabia, U.S. shale oil, and LNG exporters. Energy traders and non-Iranian oil-producing countries benefit, while Asian importing countries and Iran's export chain are under pressure, leading to increased oil price volatility.
Source: Public Information
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Trump has previously stated multiple times that he will maintain the blockade until a satisfactory outcome is achieved. This directive continues his first-term "maximum pressure" strategy, consistent with the extensions of the blockade initiated in April 2026, directly targeting Iran's nuclear program, missile projects, and regional proxy activities.
In terms of capital pathways, the U.S. Navy and allied forces are mobilizing warships and intelligence resources to enforce the blockade, with funds focused on intercepting oil tankers, cutting off export revenues, and increasing strategic oil reserves. The strategic goal is to force the Iranian regime to make concessions in nuclear negotiations through massive daily economic losses while avoiding escalation into direct ground conflict.
Similar cases include the Trump administration's "zero exports" sanctions on Iranian oil from 2018 to 2020, as well as historical long-term economic blockades against Iraq and Venezuela. The current U.S.-Iran relationship is transitioning from intermittent military actions to sustained economic strangulation.
Essentially, this represents a restructuring of the supply chain: key energy chokepoints are being weaponized for the long term. The mechanism lies in the U.S. Navy's advantage allowing for low-intensity sustained pressure under the global oil transport monopoly in the Strait of Hormuz, leading to a concentration of pricing power from the Iranian regime to diversified global suppliers, LNG exporters, and hedge funds, while accelerating the de-risking and multi-source restructuring of the Middle Eastern energy supply chain.