Washington reportedly aims to increase pressure on Tehran beyond the naval blockade to force it to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and abandon its nuclear program.
The US military is preparing to track, stop and board oil tankers linked to Iran and seize commercial vessels linked to Tehran in international waters around the world, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing sources.
The move is part of a broader strategy termed “Operation Economic Fury,” It aims to shut down Iran’s key revenue and supply channels, with the US Navy expected to begin implementation “In the coming days.”
Gen. Dan Kane, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned earlier this week that the US could expand operations against Iran’s maritime networks beyond the region.
“The joint force…will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged ship or any ship attempting to provide material support to Iran. This also includes dark fleet ships carrying Iranian oil.” He indicated that the campaign would not be limited to the Persian Gulf.
The effort comes as a complement to the US naval blockade of Iran launched on April 13, which targets all ships entering or leaving Iranian ports along the country’s coastline. US Centcom claims to have intercepted or turned away at least 23 ships so far, estimating Iran’s daily export losses at $400–435 million.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told the outlet that President Donald Trump believes the blockade and new maritime measures will help broker a deal with Tehran. Trump had previously vowed to maintain the blockade until an agreement was reached, and threatened to resume strikes if talks failed to yield results by Wednesday.
Tehran has condemned the blockade “an act of theft” And it responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz again on Saturday, along with reports of Iranian forces firing on commercial vessels. Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf criticized the US blockade, saying Iran would not allow transit if its own goods were blocked. “Idiot.”
The report comes as the temporary US-Iran ceasefire is set to expire next week after last weekend’s talks in Pakistan ended without any breakthrough and no new round was scheduled. Iran’s nuclear program remains the main sticking point. Trump demands that Tehran dismantle its infrastructure and hand over its enriched uranium – proposals it has rejected.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh stressed on Saturday that Tehran is not ready to resume talks with Washington due to its own reasons. “Maximalist” demand for enriched uranium, which he called “A non-starter.”
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