Speculation has been circulating that Washington’s aim is to force Beijing to put pressure on Tehran to strike a peace deal
4-MIN READ4-MIN ListenFan ChenPublished: 6:00am, 15 Apr 2026The US naval blockade of Iranian ports is not a tactic to force China to pressure Iran into a peace deal, according to analysts.Rather, the US aimed to end the war through showing its maritime supremacy over the world’s most vital energy chokepoint, they argued.
Washington began to enforce the blockade on Monday, drawing threats of retaliation from Tehran.
It remains unclear how fully the blockade can be enforced. The US Navy currently has at least 15 ships in the region, including an aircraft carrier and 11 destroyers, according to CNN.
A formal notice issued by the US military on Monday said vessels travelling to or from non-Iranian ports would not be affected.
About one-fifth of the world’s supply of liquefied natural gas and a quarter of global seaborne oil exports passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has virtually closed the strait since US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28, rattling global energy markets.
