The U.S. blockade in the Gulf of Oman, which has been ongoing since April 13, has caused Iran losses of $4.8 billion. This move serves as both economic pressure on Iran and a response to Tehran’s earlier blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Details and Context
According to Axios, the Pentagon estimates that the U.S. blockade has significantly reduced Iran’s oil revenues. The losses amount to $4.8 billion, placing additional pressure on the Iranian government.
Moreover, the blockade has become one of Washington’s key tools to influence Tehran. It may push Iran toward negotiations and potentially bring the conflict to an end on U.S. terms. The United States launched the blockade on April 13, 2026, as a direct response to Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, Washington aims to weaken Iran’s oil production capacity. As a result, some oil wells could eventually be forced to shut down.
Iran’s Losses
Pentagon officials report that since April 13, U.S. forces have redirected more than 40 vessels attempting to pass through the blockade while carrying oil and other contraband. In addition, 31 tankers have been prevented from leaving the Persian Gulf. Together, they carried around 53 million barrels of Iranian oil worth at least $4.8 billion. U.S. forces also seized two vessels.
Meanwhile, Iran has been forced to use older tankers as floating storage units. This is largely because it cannot properly load oil onto newer ships. In some cases, Iranian tankers take longer routes to deliver oil to China. Although these routes are more expensive, they help avoid interception by U.S. forces.
Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers, noted that one Iranian tanker, “HUGE,” demonstrated how to bypass U.S. interception. The vessel traveled along the coasts of Pakistan and India toward the Strait of Malacca in Malaysia. There, they transfer the oil to other ships bound for China. Madani also suggested that blocked Iranian tankers may attempt to break through the blockade once Iran expands its storage capacity near the Pakistani border.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that U.S. President Donald Trump had instructed the Navy to prepare for a prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The goal is to intensify economic pressure on Iran amid the ongoing conflict.
