Iran Struggles to Counter US Blockade as Strategy Comes Under Pressure

02/05/2026

Iran Struggles to Counter US Blockade as Strategy Comes Under Pressure

In this photo released by Tasnim News Agency, a Revolutionary Guard Navy (IRGC) speedboat approaches the cargo ship Epaminondas during what state media described as the seizure of one of two vessels accused of violations in the Strait of Hormuz, April 21, 2026. (Meysam Mirzadeh/Tasnim News Agency via AP, File)

WASHINGTON/TEHRAN: Iran is scrambling to respond to a US naval blockade that has disrupted its oil exports and exposed weaknesses in its long-standing strategy, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

Analysts cited in the report said the blockade is testing Tehran’s reliance on disrupting traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and using covert methods to bypass sanctions and sustain oil sales.

The report added that mounting pressure is deepening divisions within Iran’s leadership, with some officials advocating escalation while others are pushing for renewed negotiations to resolve the standoff with the United States.

For almost five decades, Iran’s Islamic government has survived financial pressure from the U.S. by selling oil to China. It confronted American military might with guerrilla tactics. But with the U.S. Navy’s blockade, that strategy might have met its match, analysts said.