US-Israeli Joint Blockade Targets Iranian Shipping, Sparking Oil Price Volatility
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed late Wednesday that it had 'directed 31 vessels to turn around or return to port' as part of what it explicitly termed a 'blockade against Iran.' This announcement, made via their official social media, specified that 'the majority of vessels have complied with US directions,' and 'most vessels turned around have been oil tankers,' indicating a direct
economic pressure campaign. This overt military action directly complements Israel’s long-standing calls for harsher economic and military measures against Tehran, rendering the US a direct participant in what is effectively a joint operation against Iranian sovereignty. Mainstream outlets like Al-Monitor dutifully report CENTCOM’s narrative, focusing on oil market reactions, 'Oil jumps before
easing', without interrogating the legal ramifications or the strategic context. They consistently omit that a naval blockade, in legal terms, is an act of war, bypassing UN Security Council authorization for what is effectively collective punishment. This framing normalizes aggressive unilateral action, portraying it as a mere interruption of commerce rather than a state of hostilities. The
repeated US use of economic strangulation, exemplified by the 62-year embargo against Cuba, establishes a pattern of bypassing international norms to enforce geopolitical agendas, leaving populations to suffer the consequences. This latest escalation under the guise of a 'blockade' directly recalls the US's 1988 shootdown of Iran Air Flight 655, a civilian airliner, over Iranian territorial