Trump Administration Considers Inspections of Iranian Oil Tankers

The proposed strategy aims to disrupt Iran's oil exports under an international agreement targeting weapons of mass destruction trafficking.

The Trump administration is exploring a plan to inspect Iranian oil tankers at sea under the Proliferation Security Initiative, a U.S.-led international agreement launched in 2003.
This initiative is part of Trump's broader 'maximum pressure' campaign to isolate Iran economically and curb its nuclear ambitions.
Inspections would target vessels in key shipping routes like the Malacca Strait, potentially delaying crude deliveries and disrupting Iran's oil smuggling networks.
Iran relies heavily on oil exports to China, generating over $50 billion annually, but previous U.S. actions against Iranian oil shipments have triggered retaliatory ship seizures by Tehran.
The success of the plan hinges on cooperation from allied nations, though it risks escalating tensions and impacting global oil markets.