US plans to seize Iran-linked ships in several days as per WSJ

US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine speaks as a map of the Strait of Hormuz is displayed during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on April 16, 2026.

The mullahs in Tehran are squeezing the Strait of Hormuz like it is their personal playground, even taking shots at several ships earlier on Saturday. Because nothing says "responsible regional power" like turning one of the world's most vital oil chokepoints into a floating shooting gallery.

According to a Saturday report from The Wall Street Journal, the US is gearing up to board and seize Iran-linked oil tankers and commercial ships in the coming days. And these operations will not be limited to the neighborhood. They will happen in international waters, potentially far outside the Middle East.

The US “will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran,” US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said. “This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil.”

“As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions, or insurance requirements,” Caine continued.

Caine was further quoted as saying that the new campaign, which would be operated in part by the US Indo-Pacific Command, would be part of a broader President Trump-led campaign against Iran, known as “Economic Fury.”

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told the WSJ that Trump was “optimistic” that the new measures would lead to a peace deal.

This all comes as Iran continues to tighten its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, with the WSJ reporting that the US has already turned back 23 ships trying to leave Iranian ports since the blockade began. Expanding naval action beyond the Middle East gives the US even more leverage by letting it snag a greater number of vessels loaded with oil or weapons headed for Iran.

“It’s a maximalist approach,” said associate professor of law at Emory University Law School Mark Nevitt. “If you want to put the screws down on Iran, you want to use every single legal authority you have to do that.”

Iran, never one to miss a chance for some chest-thumping, claimed earlier on Saturday that it had regained military control over the Strait. They plan to keep it locked down until the US guarantees full freedom of movement for ships traveling to and from Iran.

“As long as the United States does not ensure full freedom of navigation for vessels traveling to and from Iran, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain tightly controlled,” the Iranian military stated.

In addition, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei declared on Saturday in an apparent message on his Telegram channel that the Iranian navy is prepared to inflict “new bitter defeats” on its enemies.

Because when your economy is circling the drain and the world's most powerful navy is about to start playing global Whac-A-Mole with your oil tankers, the only logical response is more tough talk from the Telegram account. What could possibly go wrong?

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