Tag

#naval blockade

The use of naval forces to prevent the passage of vessels to or from a port or coast. When blockades prevent essential supplies from reaching civilian populations, they constitute collective punishment and potentially the war crime of starvation.

3 incidents

Grade 4 of 5: Critical Rights and Rule-of-Law Concern

Trump Declares Iran Ceasefire 'Over': Nightly US Strikes, Blockade Reimposed, and Troop Deaths Moved Off the War Tally (July 2026)

The June ceasefire collapsed into a renewed nightly US bombing campaign in July 2026: Trump called the truce 'over' and Iran's leaders 'scum,' the blockade was reimposed, strikes hit bridges, energy infrastructure and (per Iran) a nuclear construction site, Iranian authorities reported 50+ dead, four US soldiers were killed — and then quietly moved off the Pentagon's Iran war tally. Congress again declined to stop it.

Grade 5 of 5: International Crime (Rome Statute)

U.S. Naval Blockade of Iranian Ports

The United States imposed a full naval blockade on all Iranian ports after peace talks in Islamabad collapsed, threatening to destroy any vessel approaching. The blockade — the first U.S. naval blockade since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis — is a belligerent act that, imposed in furtherance of an unlawful war, is a listed act of aggression (UNGA Res 3314, Art 3(c)). It threatens 25% of global seaborne oil and inflicts severe economic harm on Iran's civilian population; the US declared a humanitarian exemption for food and medicine, and whether that exemption operates in practice is disputed.

Grade 4 of 5: Critical Rights and Rule-of-Law Concern

Naval Blockade of Venezuelan Oil Exports

A naval blockade of Venezuelan oil exports drew condemnation from UN experts as a violation of fundamental international law, with legal analysts characterizing it as an act of war imposed without Congressional authorization.