Will it work this time?: Donald Trump reinstates the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and continues his offensive against Iran

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Tuesday that the U.S. military officially reimposed the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz late Tuesday night, preventing ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports while allowing commercial traffic unrelated to Iran to continue using this strategic sea lane. The announcement came hours after U.S. forces launched a new round of attacks against Iranian targets, marking the fourth consecutive day of military operations aimed at weakening Tehran's ability to attack commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which approximately one-fifth of the world's oil and natural gas passes.

In an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, President Donald Trump announced that the offensive would continue on Tuesday and warned that the U.S. military would "eliminate" Pickaxe Mountain, a deeply buried Iranian nuclear facility, located about a mile south of the Natanz uranium enrichment site. This is a target that had not been attacked since the start of the war on February 28.

In its statement, the military highlighted the significant U.S. military presence in the region, noting that more than 20 U.S. Navy warships and hundreds of military aircraft remain deployed in the Middle East, adding that "American forces remain vigilant, lethal and ready."

Trump had decided last week to end the ceasefire reached in June, citing the Iranian regime's repeated attacks on commercial vessels in the strait, through which nearly 20% of the world's oil and gas passes. Since then, the United States has resumed strikes against missile systems, air defenses, and vessels belonging to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, including, for the first time, maritime attack drones.