US says it will pursue ships in Pacific Ocean supporting Iran

US military expands Iran blockade to Pacific, targeting 'dark fleet' oil tankers and risking confrontation with China. | Contesto: cronaca

Punti chiave

• US says it will pursue ships in Pacific Ocean supporting Iran

Contesto

The United States military announced on Thursday, 16 April 2026, that it will intercept vessels suspected of aiding Iran anywhere in the world, including the vast expanses of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, speaking at a Pentagon briefing, stated the Joint Force will "actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel, or any vessel, attempting to provide material support to Iran." He explicitly included so-called "dark fleet" tankers carrying Iranian oil, signaling a dramatic geographic expansion of American enforcement actions beyond the Middle East. This new, global posture is a direct escalation of the US blockade imposed on Iran earlier in the week. That action was itself a response to Tehran's seizure of the Strait of Hormuz, where it has instituted a preferential transit system for its own ships while blocking most traffic bound for neighboring Arab states. Iran is also developing a toll system that could charge up to $2 million for passage. General Caine insisted the US action targets "Iran’s ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz," with enforcement occurring both within Iran's territorial seas and on the high seas. The declaration immediately casts a spotlight on China, the primary destination for Iranian oil exports. To circumvent crippling Western sanctions, Iran relies on a "shadow fleet" of tankers operating outside standard insurance and financial channels, which predominantly deliver crude to Chinese refineries. Maritime experts note that while several vessels carrying Iranian cargo have entered the Strait of Hormuz recently, none have been observed exiting into the Gulf of Oman, where the US Navy is deployed. The critical question now is whether Washington would dare to board a Chinese-flagged or Chinese-leased vessel on the high seas of the Pacific. Analysts warn that expanding the blockade into the Pacific is likely to provoke significant concern in Beijing, even if a direct military confrontation is considered unlikely. China has substantial strategic interests in the region, where it seeks to establish itself as the dominant power. The situation is diplomatically delicate;...

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Categoria: cronaca