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leftstreet

(41,011 posts)
2. No one blocks the Strait but TRUMP
Sun Apr 12, 2026, 04:05 PM
Sunday

...to answer your question, I have no idea

Trump's evolution so far

Open the Strait!
Allies, help us open the Strait or else!
We don't need the Strait open!
Open the f'king Strait or I will annihilate your civilization!
We are blocking the Strait!

Igel

(37,563 posts)
5. Cuts off what income Iran has.
Sun Apr 12, 2026, 04:20 PM
Sunday

Two, maybe place pressure on the PRC to maybe less restock Iran as to push Iran to not be quite so supremacist?

Three, makes it harder for those who finesse a "third way" in the conflict to have that third way.

Four, explicitly deny Iran's right to trash the usual freedom of the seas that the US has stood for for many half-century. Iran wants to claim jurisdiction over the adjacent body of water--ignoring the rights of other countries--fine. But keep in mind that it's not hard to close the strait to all comers, including the Shi'ite imperialists in Iran. (Call them what they are.) That rather reduces the ace of trump to something closer to maybe a 7 or 8 of trump.

Which, if any, of these are held in mind by those that issued the threat-by-tweet, dunno.

Metaphorical

(2,650 posts)
3. Actually there are several questions that come to mind
Sun Apr 12, 2026, 04:15 PM
Sunday

though this one was one of the first that I asked as well.

Blockading makes absolutely no difference. It highlights Trump's impotence at this, since the Iranians have essentially ALREADY blockaded the Straits in the first place; they control access for ships going into and out of the Persian Gulf, they've mined the straits, and they are shooting missiles at any American military ship that gets too close. What's more - for Iran, this is territorial waters; they are defending themselves. It highlights that America has not only completely failed in its objective to keeping the Persian Gulf open, but it also has put them into a position where ships transiting are under Iranian protection, paying rates that are high but not out of line with insurance.

The only thing that it does (and that not well) is that it is a minor distraction from Melania's Epstein connections and the fact that Orban was run out of town on rails in Hungary today. I also am inclined to suspect that the Navy is going to slow walk (slow ship) their way into position - (damn, looks like engine failure, we'll have to repair it, may be down for weeks). The military brass is NOT happy with either Trump or Hegseth right now.

usonian

(25,755 posts)
4. T-rump HATES IT when someone beats him to an extortion scheme. HE WANTS IN, HE WANTS IT ALL!!
Sun Apr 12, 2026, 04:18 PM
Sunday
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221168354

"Thou shalt not steal without giving me a cut"

LudwigPastorius

(14,806 posts)
11. This.
Sun Apr 12, 2026, 05:04 PM
Sunday

He figures he can make some money while sticking it to our NATO allies because they didn't jump to participate in his clownfuck of a war.

RockRaven

(19,509 posts)
6. It's the logic of a petulant 4-year old: "oh yeah, well I'M blocking it now. So there!"
Sun Apr 12, 2026, 04:25 PM
Sunday

Apologies to petulant 4-year olds everywhere for the unkind comparison...

rampartd

(4,715 posts)
8. "wabbit season"
Sun Apr 12, 2026, 04:40 PM
Sunday

the iranianns are hunting wabbit. if dear leader can change the sign to read "duck season" the iranians must open the straight.?????

KPN

(17,413 posts)
9. Well, for one it should make everyone completely
Sun Apr 12, 2026, 04:54 PM
Sunday

understand that Donald J Trump is a petulant little kid, and he’s running the country like a petulant little kid, i.e., “Open the fuckin’ strait ...” or I’ll blockade the strait!

That’s about it as far as what it does from a positive sense from what I can see!

Kid Berwyn

(24,639 posts)
10. Global Depression on the horizon.
Sun Apr 12, 2026, 05:03 PM
Sunday
From the UN:

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, carrying around a quarter of global seaborne oil trade and significant volumes of liquefied natural gas and fertilizers.

https://unctad.org/publication/strait-hormuz-disruptions-implications-global-trade-and-development

Not the UN:

I bet Iran can hold out longer without toilet paper, fertilizer and cheap gas than the USA.

Ilsa

(64,424 posts)
13. I think Richard Haass suggested the blockade on
Sun Apr 12, 2026, 05:25 PM
Sunday

Morning Joe last week. Sort of a, "We're not going to let Iran choose who gets through the strait," philosophy.

applegrove

(132,481 posts)
14. Radio traffic from the Strait of Hormuz (Strait of Oman?) today:
Sun Apr 12, 2026, 05:35 PM
Sunday

Last edited Sun Apr 12, 2026, 06:23 PM - Edit history (1)

#BlueSkyVets Iran just released footage showing IRGC Navy ordering US destroyers to turn away from Strait of Hormuz and issues ‘last warning’ before threatening to open fire.

This is purely another fine mess Trump has gotten us into!

He’s a one man wrecking ball….

#ProudBlue #DemVoice1

Sarge (@oldsarge.bsky.social) 2026-04-12T19:37:15.992Z
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