U.S. Blockade Hits Iran's Oil Exports

0:00On April 29th, the U.S. Navy kicked off a blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz on April 13th, hitting back at Iran's moves to choke. Off-ship traffic there. This narrow waterway is a huge deal for global oil flow, and now Iran's exports are getting slam hard, threatening their main cash flow from crude. Experts are split on how long Iran can hang on. KT McFarland, who advised Trump back in the day, warned their economy could tank in just one week, or two at most, since oil keeps pumping from wells. To spots like Carg Island, but has nowhere to go without tankers. On the flip side, analysts point out Iran built up stockpiles during the COVID-mas and has extra storage plus new facilities from the last decade. They figure the regime isn't staring down an instant shutdown, especially with the revolutionary guards smuggling oil by land or small boats to keep, funds flowing. Other reports show Iran still has access to 20 very large crude carriers, each holding

1:012 million barrels as of April 20th. The blockade isn't airtight yet, and they can pause production without wrecking their fields. Treasury officials say oil shut-ins are starting alongside sanctions, but whether it's days or weeks of breathing room, Iran's playing a tense waiting. Game as pressure mounts. That's the story for today, U.S. News Today, driven by AI.