The Serious but Not Literal Blockade

(Todd Huntley – Lawfare) “Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.” So wrote President Trump in a Truth Social post on Sunday, April 12, that was then also posted to the White House’s official X account. Despite floating the idea earlier that the U.S. would enter into a joint venture with Iran to charge tolls, Trump, in the same post, “instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran.” He continued, “No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.” Trump had previously stated that he was thinking of charging tolls on ships for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz as a joint venture with Iran. Later that day, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it would begin a blockade of “all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on April 13 at 10 a.m. ET in accordance with the President’s proclamation.” Approximately 14 hours later, Trump posted again, stating that the blockade would apply only to ships entering or exiting Iranian ports, mirroring the CENTCOM announcement and seemingly walking back his earlier, much broader announcement. – The Serious but Not Literal Blockade | Lawfare