U.S. Threat to Blockade Hormuz Sets Up Risky New Showdown
By Vera Bergengruen, Shelby Holliday and Georgi Kantchev. President Trump's announcement that the U.S. military would blockade the Strait of Hormuz sets up a risky new showdown that could draw American forces into a prolonged struggle to control the strategic chokepoint while compounding the global economic damage caused by the conflict.Hours after U.S. peace talks with Iran broke down in Pakistan, Trump said that the Navy would begin the blockade, "seek and interdict" vessels that had paid Iran to get through the strait, and then start clearing the waterway of sea mines. "He added that any Iranian forces that fired on U.S. troops or commercial shipping would be "BLOWN TO HELL." The blockade is set to begin Monday at 10 a.m. Eastern Time, according to U.S. Central Command.This item is part of a Wall Street Journal live coverage event. The full stream can be found by searching P/WSJL .