Donald Trump is in a tailspin over the Strait of Hormuz. One minute, he’s demanding that it be reopened, the next he’s saying he wants to charge ships a toll for moving through it, the next he’s announcing a full blockade.
This self-induced chaos has left both major exporting nations and shipping companies scratching their heads and wondering just what his “blockade” means. In the traditional sense – and familiar to anyone who’s watched The Phantom Menace – this would mean using the threat of military violence to prevent or control passage through.
Theoretically, any sanctioned ship trying to run the blockade may find itself under fire from the US Navy or (more likely) boarded and its contents seized/stolen. The official line from the US military is that it’s now blockading “all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports”.
BREAKING: President Trump says that “effective immediately” the U.S. will start to blockade ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz. Follow AP’s live updates. https://t.co/ZIkLdcH2vt
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 12, 2026
In practise? Trump’s blockade appears to be nothing more than a bluff, one which China has just revealed to be smoke and mirrors. Ship tracking data indicates that four ships that had visited Iranian ports, which should have been prevented from passing through the strait, instead moved through unchallenged on Monday.
BREAKING: US-sanctioned tanker, Chinese-owned Rich Starry, transited through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday despite a US blockade of the vital oil chokepoint, shipping data from LSEG showed. pic.twitter.com/yrIRltDvrI
— Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) April 14, 2026
These are the Christianna, the Rich Starry, the Murlikistan, and the Elpis, all of which transited the strait without so much as a peep from the US Navy. The Rich Starry, the Murlikistan, and the Elpis are even under US sanctions for Iran-related trade, meaning they should be the direct targets of Trump’s blockade.
What blockade?
It’s becoming apparent that Trump’s “blockade” is merely hot air, and that his administration isn’t willing to put their money where their mouth is and risk kicking off a diplomatic incident over this.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has been about as firm as he can be that he will not allow ships facilitating Chinese international trade to be “bullied” by the US military:
🛑LATEST UPDATE FROM CHINA🛑
— gulvinder (@rebelliousdogra) April 14, 2026
🇨🇳 Chinese President Xi Jinping message on the US Naval blockade-
"We Chinese are a people who uphold justice and are not intimidated by threats of force. We have strong sense or pride and confidence. We have never bullied or oppressed or subjugated… pic.twitter.com/VWdvIKNcmJ
“We Chinese are a people who uphold justice and are not intimidated by threats of force. We have strong sense or pride and confidence. We have never bullied or oppressed or subjugated people of any other country and never will. By the same token we will never allow any foreign force to bully, oppress or subjugate us. Anyone who would attempt to do so will find themselves on collision force with a great wall of steel forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese people.”
Given that Trump and the US military (also Israel) are apparently unable to defeat Iran, the last thing they want right now is to pick a fight with China. All of which means the reality is that Trump’s “blockade” doesn’t exist and, like so much of what emanates from him, it’s just hot air without any substance.
At other times, this kind of debacle might make the United States an international laughingstock. But, given everything that’s happened since Trump and Netanyahu chose to begin this disastrous war, it’s safe to say that particular ship has already left the port.
Who can predict what Trump will do next? Perhaps it really doesn’t matter, as it appears the rest of the world may have decided to ignore his ravings and carry on as normal.
Published: Apr 14, 2026 06:07 am