this post was submitted on 12 Apr 2026
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[–] ryper@lemmy.ca 206 points 1 week ago (8 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 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week 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 1 week 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 1 week 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 1 week 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 1 week 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 1 week 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 1 week 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 1 week ago (2 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?

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

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

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

International law says that any toll is illegal.

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[–] JaumeI@programming.dev 138 points 1 week ago (4 children)

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

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

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

[–] JaumeI@programming.dev 9 points 1 week ago (6 children)

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

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[–] flandish@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago (4 children)

no. it’s invasion and war.

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[–] rc__buggy@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 week ago

Sure sounds like it's more piracy to me.

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[–] Shellofbiomatter@lemmus.org 83 points 1 week 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 1 week 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 1 week 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 1 week 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 1 week 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 1 week ago (2 children)

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

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[–] NobodyElse@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 week ago

But that only works if the US is willing to start attacking unarmed oil tankers, which will do no favors for their international support.

If they hadn’t alienated all their allies, they could build an embargo until the straits were opened but that ship had sailed.

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[–] finallymadeanaccount@lemmy.world 63 points 1 week 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 1 week ago

Blockading is considered an act of war

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

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

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

[–] FancyPantsFIRE@lemmy.world 22 points 1 week ago (1 children)

“You can’t quit, you’re fired!”

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[–] hemko@lemmy.dbzer0.com 26 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works 11 points 1 week ago (2 children)
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[–] friend_of_satan@lemmy.world 24 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Open the fucking strait you crazy bastard!

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[–] crystalmerchant@lemmy.world 19 points 1 week ago

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

[–] Murse@slrpnk.net 18 points 1 week ago (2 children)

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

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[–] roguetrick@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago

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

[–] Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 points 1 week 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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[–] orlyowl@piefed.ca 15 points 1 week ago

This is a terrifyingly ridiculous timeline we find ourselves in.

[–] redsand@infosec.pub 13 points 1 week ago
[–] BigMacHole@thelemmy.club 11 points 1 week ago

~~Open~~ Close the STRAIT!

-Trump!

[–] rayyy@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

That's bound to increase the price of oil.

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 8 points 1 week ago

this goes back to are trumps decisions based on some long odd bets on the totally not maninpualted gambling markets.

[–] Klox@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

Lmfao, the guy knows a thing or two about ~~illegal taxation~~ extortion.

[–] rwrwefwef@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 week ago

“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,”

Or what?

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