It was 4 p.m., Paris time, on Monday, April 13, when American forces launched their blockade of the Strait of Hormuz to regain control from the Iranians. Donald Trump warns that Iranian ships that defy the blockade will be immediately destroyed. Tehran denounces piracy and threatens Gulf ports.
The Strait of Hormuz at the heart of a naval battle. Since 4 p.m., Monday, April 13 afternoon, the United States has imposed a blockade on the entire maritime zone. Donald Trump wants to show firmness: “Iran can no longer trade now and we will keep it that way. We cannot let a country blackmail the whole world, and this is what they were doing,” said the American president.
What is the goal for the Americans? Faced with the failure of negotiations with Iran, the American president hopes to cut off the financial lifeline of oil for the Iranians. During the conflict, the country has been able to export over one and a half million barrels per day and continue to fund its war effort. On a map, several ships that Iran deems non-hostile, mainly Chinese, Indian, or Pakistani, were still passing through the strait in the last few hours.
So, what is the blockade in the strait? Donald Trump wants to prevent the circulation of ships departing or entering an Iranian port and promises to destroy Iranian boats that oppose the blockade. For this, the Pentagon has deployed two destroyers, the USS Peterson and the USS Murphy. The aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln is also in the area, as shown by satellite images reported by the BBC.
According to experts, American military personnel could stop ships that do not comply with the blockade using helicopters or zodiacs: “There are commandos who will board and take control of the ship and then move it to a waiting area, probably, I assume, in the Sultanate of Oman. We know they have the means to do it on the spot,” explains Sylvain Domergue, a doctor in geography and instructor at Sciences Po Bordeaux, author of Geopolitics of Maritime Spaces (Armand Colin, 2025).
Several countries have protested against this blockade. China calls for unrestricted reopening of the area. Emmanuel Macron and the British Prime Minister have announced the upcoming organization of a conference to restore freedom of movement in the Strait of Hormuz.
