Why Donald Trump’s Blockade on Iran Won’t Work

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Iran’s IRGC does not need much to keep shipping out of the Strait of Hormuz.

President Donald Trump didn’t bother to consult with or get approval from Congress for his war with Iran. He declared war on it, in effect, by ordering air and missile strikes on the country on February 28. After a month of extended waffling about the nature of US war aims, whether the United States was in a state of hostilities with Iran, or whether the United States had indeed already won, Trump announced that the US Navy would begin blockading Iranian ports this week, including those in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Trump administration believes that the US Navy will prevent Iran from earning revenue from oil exports, while allowing other nations’ shipments to pass through the strait, thus resuming the transport of oil, gas, fertilizer, and other important items for global markets. This surgical outcome, however, may be harder to achieve than it looks.

The Trump administration crows that it has destroyed the Iranian Navy, which is true. But that navy was for longer-range missions—that is, mainly for show. The real........

© The National Interest