Telegraph: US and Israel Discuss Possible Land Blockade of Iran

The Telegraph reports that the US and Israel are discussing the possibility of a land blockade of Iran to increase economic pressure. The option was considered at a meeting between Trump and Netanyahu on July 28. The blockade would require convincing neighboring states to close their borders. Sources note the complexity of the operation, but the goal is to prevent Iran from rearming, including the delivery of Chinese rocket launchers.

The British newspaper The Telegraph reports that the US and Israel are considering the possibility of imposing a land blockade on Iran as a new tool of economic pressure. This option was discussed on July 28 at a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office. Implementation would require convincing Iran's neighboring states to tighten control or close land borders. A senior Israeli source said: "What if we just cut off the land? Imagine Iran unable to import or export anything. Then anything is possible." Former US Army officer Sean McFarlane considers the operation "almost impossible," but notes that economic isolation could "bring the country to its knees." Iran borders Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, and convincing all these countries to join the blockade is difficult. The goal is to prevent Iran from rearming, including the delivery of hundreds of Chinese rocket launchers under a $70 million contract. Trump considers the strategy of opening the Strait of Hormuz exhausted and is seeking new ways to apply pressure. Inside Iran, economic problems are felt, including gas shortages and queues at gas stations.