The U.S. will enforce its naval blockade of Iran not within the Strait of Hormuz itself, but in the adjacent waters of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

A naval blockade is technically considered an act of war, and it is highly probable that Iran will interpret the U.S. action as such.

Iran could retaliate against the U.S. naval blockade by attacking ports and infrastructure in Gulf countries.

The strategic logic behind the U.S. naval blockade is to exert economic pressure on Iran, compelling it to make concessions in negotiations either immediately or in the long term.

U.S. Central Command has defined the naval blockade as targeting all maritime traffic destined for Iranian ports, including those outside the Persian Gulf.

If the U.S. expands its blockade policy, it could lead to interdicting Iranian "dark fleet" oil tankers in the Indo-Pacific region, potentially those en route to China.

The U.S. naval blockade significantly increases the risk of military escalation with Iran, threatening an already fragile ceasefire.

By enforcing the blockade outside the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. has reduced but not eliminated the risk to its warships from Iranian drone and anti-ship cruise missile attacks.