Donald Trump’s high-stakes gamble to squeeze Iran by blockading the Strait of Hormuz just got a reality check. Within hours of the U.S. Navy’s supposed ironclad blockade taking effect, multiple ships — including some linked to Iran and even a Chinese tanker — sailed right through the waterway like it was just another Tuesday.
According to The Daily Beast, the whole thing kicked off on Monday, April 13, 2026, after U.S.–Iran talks in Islamabad collapsed, leaving Trump with few options but to flex military muscle. He took to Truth Social in a now-deleted post on Sunday to announce the blockade, declaring, “Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.”
