According to what was stated by the American television network CNN, the United States blockade of iranian ports was fully implemented starting in the early hours of this Wednesday, April 15, so this decision by the president donald trump has achieved paralyze most of the economic activity of Tehran.
“It is estimated that almost 90% of Iran’s economy is based on international maritime trade and since this blockade was implemented, US forces have completely paralyzed trade entering or leaving Iran via the sea“said the head of the Central Command of the United States, Admiral Brad Cooper.
Given this situation, Cooper declared that no ship has violated the blockade since its implementation, despite the fact that commercial traffic is reported in the Strait of Hormuzone of the most strategically important congestion points in the world, providing the only maritime passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.
Additionally, the Strait of Hormuz is a strategic crossing point for Iran, through which the 20% of world oil exports and 80% of Iranian crude oil shipments, so doubt has arisen as to whether this alleged commercial traffic could reach invalidate Brad Cooper’s statement about the new lockdown.
Commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz
According to the United States Central Command, the blockade promoted by President Donald Trump covers all Iranian ports, both inside and outside the Strait of Hormuz, but not the Strait itself, so non-Iranian traffic can cross it, since block an international sea lane is illegal.
However, by enforcing the blockade, US forces can intercept ships carrying cargo linked to Iran tens of thousands of kilometers away. According to the television network CNN, a merchant ship can be subject to attacks in international waters long after leaving the gulf.
“The United States does not have to deploy ships in the Persian Gulf to block Iran,” declared Carl Schuster, captain of the US Navy, who mentioned that the modern technology allows you to enforce locks great distancesso most US ships are out of the Strait of Hormuz.
Additionally, more than twelve US ships can carry sophisticated tracking and recognition connected to air and space systems, so the US Navy has the range necessary to pursue for weeksanywhere in the world, to ships leaving the Persian Gulf.
Blocking without geographical limit
According to the Institute for the Study of War, an American think tank, the US blockade of Iranian ports has no defined geographical limit, because the United States can intercept ships virtually anywhere in international waters until they reach their final port.
Under the circumstances, US Central Command stated that the composition of the american force leaves the authorities of Tehran with limited options to respond, considering that the attack boats of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are not designed to be able to navigate in the waters of the sea Arabic.