An Open Letter: The Blockade Threat and a Manufacturing of Consent
To the Department of Defense and the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), your recent warnings regarding an impending naval blockade of Iranian ports, coupled with threats from former President Trump promising to 'immediately eliminate' any ships breaching it, demand scrutiny. The Independent, like much of mainstream media, reports these threats as if they herald legitimate enforcement
actions. They frame this as a necessary response to perceived Iranian aggression, rather than what it is: an act of war under international law, carried out with no UN mandate and in clear violation of state sovereignty. What The Independent and similar outlets omit is the classification of such a blockade. Under international law, a naval blockade that prevents access to a nation's ports is
considered an act of war, not a mere economic sanction. This is not about 'enforcing' anything; it is a direct confrontation. Furthermore, the US has no legal basis to unilaterally declare or enforce a blockade against Iran, particularly after its withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which dramatically undercut any diplomatic pretense. This move rehashes a tactic seen
famously during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, where a US 'quarantine' was imposed, pushing the world to the brink. This declaration comes amidst revelations that the US has, since 1980, spent an average of over $20 million per day on military actions and operations in the Middle East, primarily to maintain its regional hegemony and secure oil interests, not to foster stability. This aggressive