Trump Orders Naval Blockade of Strait of Hormuz, Halts One-Fifth of Global Oil Supply

President Trump ordered a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on April 12, 2026.

The blockade targeted vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas.

@globaltimesnews

Tanker traffic came to a halt within hours, sending crude oil prices surging more than 8%.

The blockade effectively cut off roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply.

The Trump administration justified the blockade as a counter-proliferation measure after negotiations collapsed.

The blockade also risked drawing China into the confrontation.

The blockade represented a de facto embargo on crude oil shipments to China.

China was consuming more than fifteen million barrels of oil per day.

ABC

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokespeople denounced the blockade as a violation of international law.

Beijing activated a decade-long strategy of resilience.

The blockade was widely compared to the 1941 U.S. oil embargo on Japan.

The blockade sent shockwaves through global markets.

The IMF and World Bank signaled they would downgrade global growth forecasts.

The disruption accelerated a global clean energy transition.

Chinese exports for energy storage systems climbed 57 percent.

The crisis cast a shadow over the Beijing summit.

Trump faced domestic criticism due to rising fuel prices.