3 things to know about naval blockades as U.S. begins patrols in the Strait of Hormuz

National Security 3 things to know about naval blockades as U.S. begins patrols in the Strait of Hormuz April 16, 20265:00 AM ET By  Scott Neuman The U.S. Navy's aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln sails alongside guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. and dry cargo ship USNS Carl Brashear in the Arabian Sea on Feb. 6. Handout/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Handout/Getty Images Days after the U.S. Navy began blockading the Strait of Hormuz, key questions remain unanswered about how such a large-scale operation can be sustained — and history suggests naval blockades are difficult to enforce and their results are often unpredictable at best. The White House says it wants to choke off Iran's main source of revenue, oil exports, by cutting the country off from global maritime trade. It's a move aimed at increasing economic pressure on Iran after weeks of U.S. strikes have failed to persuade the country's leaders to agree to end the war on Washington's terms. Sponsor Message Middle East conflict Trump says Iran talks could resume in days as U.S. military blocks Iranian ports The U.S. Middle East command, known as CENTCOM, said on Sunday that it would intercept all vessels going to and from Iranian ports and will "not impede freedom of navigation" for ships from all other Persian Gulf ports. Meanwhile, President Trump has made clear that stopping all shipping to and from Iran is aimed at strangling Iran's ability to export petroleum. The administration labels the pressure tactic as a blockade — though Bryan Clark, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, argues it's more of a naval quarantine, because "the U.S. is only stopping traffic that's coming from Iran." Such a tactic is simply a new facet in the long-term sanctions that the U.S. has placed on Iran, says Eric Schuck, an economics professor at Linfield University in Oregon. He says the U.S. is following the classic economic pressure tactic aimed at breaking an enemy's economy. The way to...