US vows deeper sanctions, indefinite Hormuz blockade as tanker attacks rise

The United States has signaled it can sustain a naval blockade of Iranian ports for as long as needed while ceasefire negotiations remain stalled. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that ships can rotate in and out indefinitely to enforce restrictions, a position echoed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent who announced upcoming steps toward greater economic isolation of the regime.

Transit through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed sharply. Ship tracking data showed only nine vessels passing on Thursday compared with a prewar average exceeding 130 daily. Iran maintains that the waterway stays under its control and will not reopen until its demands are met. Two tankers operated by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company came under drone attack while transiting the strait Thursday evening, suffering minor damage with no injuries reported. The United Arab Emirates government attributed the strikes to Iran and described them as piracy that threatens global energy security.

Conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have drawn concern from lawmakers after reports of sailors attempting to jump overboard amid extended deployment. The carrier has been part of the enforcement effort since the conflict began earlier this year. Meanwhile, only a handful of vessels have moved through the strait in recent days despite American assertions of control.

Iran's economy shows clear strain under the combination of sanctions and restricted oil exports. The regime has struggled to pay troops and faces widening public discontent. Historical patterns in Iran indicate that sustained economic hardship has preceded large-scale protests, as seen in earlier episodes when revenue shortfalls eroded regime support. Current leadership under Mojtaba Khamenei confronts similar constraints without the option of renewed large-scale conflict or a favorable settlement.

American officials have framed the approach as reactive pressure rather than renewed military escalation. Vice President JD Vance identified keeping domestic energy prices low as a primary objective alongside preventing Iranian nuclear advancement. Market data reflects limited immediate disruption to broader oil flows, though analysts note that Iran's leverage rests mainly on its ability to threaten shipping lanes.

The blockade and sanctions together test the regime's capacity to maintain cohesion when state revenues decline and external options narrow. Past Iranian uprisings followed comparable periods of neither full war nor settled peace, driven by visible gaps between the country's potential wealth and its actual performance under centralized control.