this post was submitted on 12 Apr 2026
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[–] ryper@lemmy.ca 206 points 3 days ago (15 children)

"Effective immediately, the ​United States Navy, the Finest in ​the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING ‌any ⁠and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz," said Trump, who is strongly opposed to the ​idea of ​Iran charging ⁠ships a toll to pass through the strait.

"I have also ​instructed our Navy to seek and ​interdict ⁠every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one ⁠who ​pays an illegal toll ​will have safe passage on the high seas," he ​said.

Pretty sure what Trump is opposed to is him not getting a cut of the toll.

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 117 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Once again the whole world has to suffer because of Trump's insatiable ego and greed, and his bottomless stupidity. May he be gone soon.

[–] KoboldCoterie@pawb.social 61 points 3 days ago

He did previously say that as the "winners" of the war, the US was entitled to collect that toll, basically. So, yeah, I think you're spot on.

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 44 points 3 days ago (1 children)

This is truly an April Fools-level move.

The US is closing the Strait? The generals couldn't open it, so Hegseth said, 'Okay! I've got it! We declare that WE'RE closing it, NOT THEM!'

How ... is this better?

[–] stickyprimer@lemmy.world 18 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Iran was allowing some ships through. The logic is that if it’s closed to the US it must be closed to everyone (it was not before).

Do I think this is a good move? No. Do I think Trump and Hegseth have three brain cells between them? No.

But it also isn’t hard to understand their angle here. It’s not better for anyone. But the idea is to make it worse for Iran than the previous phase, where they had control of the strait.

[–] electric_nan@lemmy.ml 10 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Gonna be a hard sell to the rest of the world who is largely able to negotiate passage with Iran. US navy is gonna hijack ships enroute from the strait to China?

[–] stickyprimer@lemmy.world 13 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I agree. A US blockade of Hormuz was actually always a reserve strategy to put a chokehold on China if they invade Taiwan. Now we’re just playing that card for no fucking reason at all. This administration is dumb as fuck and I can’t believe there isn’t even anyone in the military who can stop them. I guess that’s what we see with Hegseth’s long line of dismissals.

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[–] fartographer@lemmy.world 35 points 2 days ago

Oh good. Nazi pirates. How did we end up with a real life plot more stupid than Water World?

[–] ThePantser@sh.itjust.works 18 points 3 days ago (1 children)

No one ⁠who ​pays an illegal toll ​will have safe passage on the high seas

Does that mean they are gonna attack anyone that paid? Also when he starts charging does that mean they will destroy any ships right after they pay?

[–] datendefekt@feddit.org 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

What I don't get is how are they going to prove that the ships paid toll? Especially if they are paid in crypto.

Oh, who am I fooling. They'll just harass anything coming through. Or maybe not. Maybe depending on which flag the ship flies.

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[–] SilverCode@lemmy.ml 9 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Illegal toll? Who's laws govern the strait that make these tolls illegal?

[–] Typhoon@lemmy.ca 10 points 2 days ago (1 children)

International law says that any toll is illegal.

[–] middlemanSI@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

Except if it is paid to the emperor without clothes...

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[–] JaumeI@programming.dev 138 points 3 days ago (4 children)

Isn't that... piracy? Not USAs waters, not USAs petrol...

[–] Pickleideas@lemmy.world 95 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Hasn't stopped them from stealing oil from Venezuela and Cuba

[–] JaumeI@programming.dev 9 points 3 days ago (6 children)

Sure it hasn't. But now they are ruining the pockets of the whole world.

They have been for a while.

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[–] flandish@lemmy.world 17 points 3 days ago (4 children)

no. it’s invasion and war.

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[–] Shellofbiomatter@lemmus.org 83 points 3 days ago (5 children)

Wasn't Iran already doing that before and wasn't the main goal to open it up again?

[–] magnue@lemmy.world 71 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Yeah but if they say it this way it sounds like they're in control of the situation

[–] Eril@feddit.org 10 points 2 days ago

It's so in a few days he can "re-open" the strait again, declaring that everything is back to normal: "No president ever opened as many straits as I did"

[–] mctoasterson@reddthat.com 19 points 3 days ago (5 children)

The idea being to choke off Iran's ability to use it at all. This kills their remaining income stream and also incents the Chinese and others who thought they had a workaround (the tolls) to instead put pressure on Iran.

[–] marxismtomorrow@lemmy.today 10 points 3 days ago (3 children)

...You understand Iran has more revenue streams and can overland oil and materials to china... right?

[–] MartianSands@sh.itjust.works 13 points 3 days ago (2 children)

The fact that it's a bad idea doesn't mean that isn't the reason

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[–] finallymadeanaccount@lemmy.world 63 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Is it my imagination, or is that stretch of water and the water surrounding it not US territory, thus making what he wants to do (interdict) kind of ... piracy?

[–] Eric@lemmy.blahaj.zone 25 points 2 days ago

Blockading is considered an act of war

[–] Murse@slrpnk.net 18 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Surely this time people will stop talking about the Epstein files...

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[–] whotookkarl@lemmy.dbzer0.com 44 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] GalacticSushi@piefed.blahaj.zone 39 points 2 days ago (3 children)

I think he's just pissed off that Iran is letting Chinese ships thorough. So now the question is whether Trump is stupid and deranged enough to attack any Chinese ships that ignore this illegal blockade, which would probably kick off World War 3 in earnest.

[–] NotSteve_@lemmy.ca 13 points 2 days ago

If it broke out in WW3 then I think most of the world's public support would be behind China. The US has always been a hostile bully but Americans generally kept it contained to poorer countries that didn't have as much of a voice. Now though...

[–] redsand@infosec.pub 2 points 2 days ago

Why do that when they can just sell bonds and watch Bessent have a stroke on TV

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[–] sturmblast@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

These morons....

[–] crystalmerchant@lemmy.world 19 points 2 days ago

Boy it turns out that George Lucas sure was right about the importance of blockading a trade route

[–] Akh@lemmy.world 32 points 3 days ago (1 children)

He cant blockade something controlled by someone else who already shut it.

[–] FancyPantsFIRE@lemmy.world 23 points 3 days ago (1 children)

“You can’t quit, you’re fired!”

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[–] friend_of_satan@lemmy.world 24 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Open the fucking strait you crazy bastard!

[–] some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

Hail Satan!

[–] Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 points 2 days ago (1 children)

What's next: America blowing up its own bases in the Middle East? Killing its own soldiers? Crashing its own planes?

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[–] hemko@lemmy.dbzer0.com 26 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works 11 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] chatokun@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

(Apologies if you were just making a joke) It's an old but gold comic, and the object is just a device. Like a macguffin.

No i didn't know the origin but it's funny it still looks like a sea mine lol

[–] redsand@infosec.pub 13 points 2 days ago
[–] roguetrick@lemmy.world 17 points 3 days ago

Jesus Christ. I certainly didn't have this on my rapidly flailing bingo card of the US punching itself in the face.

[–] orlyowl@piefed.ca 15 points 3 days ago

This is a terrifyingly ridiculous timeline we find ourselves in.

[–] BigMacHole@thelemmy.club 11 points 3 days ago

~~Open~~ Close the STRAIT!

-Trump!

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