CNN: Hormuz crisis deepens as US blockade threatens to expand conflict

The United States’ sweeping maritime blockade of Iran is rapidly escalating tensions in the Middle East, raising concerns that the conflict could widen to draw in additional regional actors, CNN reports.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the blockade has already had a dramatic impact. “An estimated 90% of Iran’s economy is fueled by international trade by sea. In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, US forces have completely halted all economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea,” Adm. Brad Cooper said in a statement on social media. CENTCOM added that no vessels have breached the blockade since it began.

Despite this, some commercial traffic has continued through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint through which roughly 20% of global oil exports pass. Analysts note this does not contradict US claims, as the blockade targets Iranian ports rather than the strait itself. Blocking an international waterway would violate maritime law, allowing unrelated shipping to continue.

Military experts emphasize that modern surveillance and tracking systems enable enforcement far beyond the immediate region. “(The US doesn’t) have to put ships in the Persian Gulf to blockade Iran,” said Carl Schuster, noting that more than a dozen ships—equipped with advanced reconnaissance systems—are operating largely outside the strait.

The Institute for the Study of War said the blockade “does not have a defined geographic boundary,” allowing US forces to interdict vessels in international waters far from Iran. This expansive reach is backed by a force of more than a dozen warships, over 100 aircraft, and upwards of 10,000 personnel.

At the same time, analysts warn the blockade could broaden the conflict. According to CNN, Iran’s regional allies—including Yemen’s Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah, and Iraqi Shiite militias—may become more deeply involved, potentially targeting US ships and commercial tankers.

By Vafa Guliyeva