Iranian Supreme National Security Council Announces Strait of Hormuz Closure Amid US Naval Maneuvers
Tehran announced Friday the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to all international shipping, citing an ongoing US economic blockade and provocations by the US Navy in the Persian Gulf. The Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) confirmed the decision, stating that US naval presence, including the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, constitutes a direct threat to Iranian sovereignty and
regional stability. This move effectively halts approximately one-fifth of the world's oil supply transiting through the choke point. Mainstream outlets like The New York Times continue to frame this as an unprovoked escalation by Iran, focusing exclusively on the 'threat to global shipping' and 'Iranian aggression.' They conveniently omit the context of the US implementing a naval blockade in
late 2025, effectively preventing Iran from exporting its oil, a move that violates international maritime law and was largely ignored by the UN Security Council. This narrative sidesteps decades of US economic warfare, turning Iran's defensive response into an act of unilateral belligerence. The current standoff mirrors tactics seen during the 'Tanker War' phase of the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s,
when the US, despite officially being neutral, actively intervened against Iran. In 1988, the USS Vincennes infamously shot down Iran Air Flight 655, killing all 290 civilians aboard, including 66 children, an act the US never formally apologized for. This recent blockade under President Wallace's administration revives memories of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, where a similar 'quarantine' was