U.S. Signals Months-Long Iran Port Blockade as Oil Hits Four-Year High

Overview

• Brent crude jumped to about $125–126 a barrel Thursday after the White House said the Iran blockade could last months and President Trump called the tactic “more effective than bombings.”
• Prices later slipped to roughly $114, reflecting sharp swings as markets weighed war risks and the chance of longer supply strain.
• U.S. Central Command reported 42 vessels intercepted and said 41 tankers cannot depart Iran, with Admiral Brad Cooper calling the blockade “highly effective.”
• In France, TotalEnergies posted $5.8 billion in first‑quarter profit and kept caps at its stations, drawing fresh calls from ministers to redistribute any exceptional gains.
• Iran denounced the U.S. port blockade as illegal and “doomed to fail,” while Washington sought allied backing for a “Maritime Freedom” mechanism to coordinate security and sanctions, the Wall Street Journal reported.