A US destroyer interdicted two oil tankers attempting to leave Iran on Tuesday, a day after President Trump’s blockade went into effect, and instructed them to turn around, a US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The ships had left Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman and were contacted by the warship via radio, the official said. It was unclear whether any further warnings were given. The disclosure adds further detail to the start of Trump’s blockade, which aims to pressure Iran to end its effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about 20% of the world’s oil.
Trump is hoping the blockade will force Iran to accept America’s terms for ending a war launched by the US and Israel on February 28, including opening up the Strait of Hormuz. Trump says that was also a condition of a week-old cease-fire with Iran due to expire next week. Experts are cautious. Noam Raydan at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy said tracking data did show one tanker making a U-turn after the start of the blockade but cautioned that a lot of ships working with Iranian oil go dark.
