Iran defies Trump's blockade as oil prices soar to four-year high

Iran warned the United States on Thursday that its naval blockade was doomed to fail, as President Donald Trump signaled it could remain in place for months.

Brent crude surged 7.1 percent to more than $126 a barrel, its highest level since 2022, as Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian warned the action would further destabilize the region. Trump is also expected to receive a briefing Thursday on new military options against Iran from US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper.

What is Iran saying about the US naval blockade?

Iran's president said the blockade, which began on April 13, violated international law and would not succeed. "Any attempt to impose a maritime blockade or restrictions is contrary to international law and is doomed to fail," Pezeshkian said. He added that the measures amounted to a disruption to lasting stability in the Persian Gulf.

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf went further, saying the blockade was designed to create division and "make us collapse from within."

The United States imposed the blockade on Iranian ports while Iran has maintained its stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz since the war began in February. Iran has proposed easing its grip on the strait if Washington lifts the blockade and agrees to broader negotiations, but the Trump administration has insisted Iran's nuclear program must be on the table.

Why are oil prices soaring because of the Iran blockade?

The Strait of Hormuz is the transit point for roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies, and Iran's control over it has pushed energy markets into turmoil. Brent crude crossed $126 a barrel on Thursday, the highest price since the early weeks of the Ukraine war in 2022. Trump's signals this week that the blockade could last months have added further upward pressure on prices.

US Central Command said Wednesday it had reached a "significant milestone after successfully redirecting the 42nd commercial vessel attempting to violate the blockade." It estimated that 41 tankers carrying 69 million barrels of Iranian oil, worth more than $6 billion, remained unable to reach market. Iran's economy is suffering as a result, with the rial falling to historic lows against the dollar.

What new military options against Iran is Trump being briefed on?

Trump is expected to hear from Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, on Thursday about new plans for potential military action in Iran.

Options reportedly include a "short and powerful" wave of strikes on Iranian infrastructure and a ground forces operation to seize part of the Strait of Hormuz to reopen it to commercial shipping. A third option involves a special forces mission to secure Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Washington hopes the options will pressure Tehran into greater flexibility on nuclear negotiations. Trump told Axios this week that Iran was "choking like a stuffed pig" and that conditions would get worse. He has reportedly instructed oil executives and national security officials to prepare for a prolonged blockade designed to force Tehran to surrender its nuclear program.

What is the state of US-Iran diplomacy?

Diplomatic efforts have repeatedly broken down. Vice President JD Vance twice turned back from trips to Pakistan last week to negotiate with Iran. US officials say they are uncertain who speaks for Tehran, whether it is the increasingly empowered Revolutionary Guards or the country's diplomats, after Israeli strikes killed a series of senior Iranian leaders.

Iranians living abroad described a deepening sense of despair. "Every time in recent years that negotiations have taken place, the economic situation of the people has only gotten worse," a 52-year-old architect told AFP, speaking anonymously. "The issue is always nuclear. There's no talk about people, the economy or freedom."

What is happening on the Lebanon front of the war?

Violence has continued in Lebanon despite a recently extended ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group that drew Lebanon into the conflict.

For the first time since the ceasefire took effect, the Lebanese army said Tuesday that an Israeli strike had targeted its own troops, wounding two soldiers in the south. A further strike on Wednesday killed another Lebanese soldier.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on Israel to fully implement the ceasefire before any path to negotiations could open. A UN-backed report released Wednesday said more than 1.2 million people in Lebanon were expected to face acute hunger as a result of the latest phase of the war. Trump faces growing domestic pressure to end the conflict, which is unpopular even with parts of his political base and has raised costs for American consumers.