Iran blockade ‘going global’ is a warning signal to China and Russia

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! On Tuesday, U.S. Marines from the USS Tripoli once again fast-roped from their MH-60 Seahawk helicopters onto the deck of a suspicious container ship named Blue Star III heading for Iran. That makes a total of 39 vessels turned back, boarded or seized since April 13."The blockade has been unbelievably effective," President Donald Trump said on Sunday. Economic pressure is the main point of the blockade, but it has military impact far beyond the Strait of Hormuz."We seized their sanctioned ships, and we will seize more," U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth briefed at the Pentagon on Friday, April 24. "Our blockade is growing and going global," Hegseth added."Going global" is sending shockwaves through China. China imports at least 70% of its oil. Of that, 90% moves by sea. Iran alone supplied 14% of China’s imports last year, with Russia adding another 18%. Most of that oil was moved by shadow fleet tankers.TRUMP CASTS MADURO’S OUSTER AS ‘SMART’ MOVE AS RUSSIA, CHINA ENTER THE FRAY The blockade continues, as a U.S. military helicopter hovers over the sanctioned stateless crude oil tanker M/T Tifani during an interdiction on April 21, 2026. (Department of