An intensifying US naval blockade of Iran is aimed at inflicting severe economic pain to compel Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and abandon its nuclear ambitions.
The blockade, initially focused on ships headed to and from Iranian ports, will expand to cover all shadow-fleet vessels serving Iran's oil exports, the Pentagon said.
US officials said the blockade's growing scope is designed to speed the impact on Iran, as pressure grows on President Trump to wind things down and mediators try to get the two sides back to the negotiating table.
The blockade could enable the US to board ships carrying materials Iran may need for its economy or war effort, beyond the effects on oil.
Iran could hit a moment known as "tank tops" in as little as two to three weeks, running out of room to store the oil it is pumping out of the ground, according to Vortexa, Kpler, and Energy Aspects.
Tehran's response to the blockade has been muted, with options including restarting hostilities or unleashing Houthi proxies in Yemen to choke the Red Sea's Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Max Meizlish, a former US sanctions official, said it's hard to see how Iran can withstand the economic pain.
