Strait of Hormuz blockade and other major naval sieges in modern times
Key takeaways
- Naval blockades are among the oldest weapons of war, using sea control to cut supplies off and force an enemy’s surrender.
- Naval blockades are one of the oldest weapons in warfare, requiring no ground troops or invasion, just the ability to cut off what an enemy needs to survive.
- From Israel’s ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip to blockades during World War I, here are some notable naval blockades in modern history:
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Naval blockades are among the oldest weapons of war, using sea control to cut supplies off and force an enemy’s surrender.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Some notable naval blockades in modern history [Al Jazeera]By Yasmeen Aboujabal and Alanoud Al-Thani Published On 3 May 20263 May 2026The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway once carrying roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas, remains effectively closed after the United States and Iran imposed competing blockades.
Naval blockades are one of the oldest weapons in warfare, requiring no ground troops or invasion, just the ability to cut off what an enemy needs to survive. These blockades have reshaped economies, societies and alliances across generations, sometimes with instant shockwaves, sometimes with effects only seen later.