US Threatens Illegal Blockade of Strait of Hormuz
Donald Trump, speaking recently, declared that the United States military would initiate a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. His statement includes intentions to interdict any ships that have provided tolls or payments to the Iranian government for passage through the vital waterway. This announcement, made outside of an official capacity, echoes previous aggressive postures towards Tehran.
Mainstream outlets like CBS News framed this announcement as a declaration by a former president, without adequately addressing the profound implications of such an action. The language used by CBS implies a valid, albeit controversial, policy stance, failing to highlight that a naval blockade in international waters without a UN Security Council resolution or a formally declared war constitutes
an act of aggression and a violation of international law, specifically the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. This approach omits the critical legal distinction between a sovereign nation asserting control over its territorial waters and a foreign power attempting to control an international strait a maritime choke point through which a third of the world's liquefied natural gas and almost a
quarter of total global petroleum consumption passes daily. This aggressive rhetoric aligns with a long-standing pattern of US economic coercion against Iran, including the 1988 downing of Iran Air Flight 655 by the USS Vincennes, killing all 290 civilians aboard. The US has maintained an economic blockade on Cuba for over 62 years, costing its economy an estimated $147.8 billion by 2020. The