Strait of Hormuz Blockade: Trump Says No Ship Moves Without US Navy Approval

Key Takeaways:

• President Trump declared connected April 23, 2026, that the U.S. Navy has sealed the Strait of Hormuz pending an Iran deal.
• Iran seized 2 instrumentality ships connected April 22, retaliating aft the USS Spruance disabled and boarded the MV Touska connected April 19.
• Brent crude prices spiked connected April 23 arsenic the U.S. blockade, present progressive since April 13, disrupts astir 20% of planetary lipid trade.

U.S.-Iran Naval Crisis: What Is Happening successful the Strait of Hormuz Right Now

Trump posted the statement connected Thursday connected Truth Social, writing:

Iran is having a precise hard clip figuring retired who their person is! They conscionable don’t know! The infighting is betwixt the ‘Hardliners,’ who person been losing BADLY connected the battlefield, and the ‘Moderates,’ who are not precise mean astatine each (but gaining respect!), is CRAZY! We person full power implicit the Strait of Hormuz. No vessel tin participate oregon permission without the support of the United States Navy. It is ‘Sealed up Tight,’ until specified clip arsenic Iran is capable to marque a DEAL!!! Thank you for your attraction to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP

The station followed a week of progressive naval enforcement. On April 19, the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance intercepted the Iranian-flagged cargo vessel MV Touska successful the Gulf of Oman adjacent the Strait. After the vas ignored warnings, the Navy fired connected its motor country to disable it. U.S. Marines past boarded and seized the ship, marking the archetypal large enforcement enactment since the blockade began.

Iran responded 3 days later. On April 22, Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces seized 2 instrumentality ships successful the Strait of Hormuz and attacked a third. Iranian authorities tv broadcast footage of the seizures, which Tehran framed arsenic retaliation for the MV Touska boarding.

On Thursday, U.S. forces reportedly seized different Iranian-linked lipid tanker connected to smuggling operations. Trump separately ordered the Navy to sprout without hesitation astatine immoderate tiny boats laying mines successful the Strait, and announced that mine-sweeping efforts had been tripled.

The U.S. formally announced the blockade connected April 13 astatine 10 a.m. ET, pursuing the illness of U.S.-Iran bid talks successful Pakistan. The stated extremity is to chopped disconnected Iranian lipid gross and unit Tehran into negotiations. The U.S. has said its enforcement targets lone Iranian-linked vessels and ports, with non-Iranian commercialized postulation mostly permitted passage.

The Strait of Hormuz handles astir 20 percent of planetary lipid trade. Brent crude prices moved sharply higher connected Thursday arsenic the naval standoff continued. Iran has denied U.S. claims of full control, with autarkic shipping information showing immoderate disruption and vas turn-backs but not a implicit halt to traffic.

Brent crude prices connected Thursday astatine 10:45 a.m. ET.

Iran’s Foreign Minister blamed U.S. and Israeli aggression for the ongoing tensions. Iran has maintained it volition not negociate oregon cooperate portion the blockade remains successful place, calling U.S. actions an enactment of war. Some Iranian lipid tankers person reportedly utilized acheronian fleet tactics to bypass enforcement.

The broader subject backdrop involves a ceasefire from the U.S.-Iran-Israel struggle that escalated successful precocious February 2026. Trump extended that ceasefire indefinitely this week, adjacent arsenic the naval blockade remains active.

Amid the operations, the U.S. Navy Secretary was removed pursuing interior disputes implicit the Iran campaign. The unit alteration comes arsenic CENTCOM coordinates enforcement crossed the Gulf of Oman and the Strait.

Pakistan has been mediating diplomacy betwixt Washington and Tehran. No full-scale resumption of hostilities has occurred, but the naval standoff shows nary motion of resolution. Iran has not confirmed immoderate willingness to participate ceremonial negotiations nether existent conditions.

The concern continues to shift, with subject posturing, lipid marketplace pressure, and diplomatic back-channels each progressive simultaneously.