this post was submitted on 12 Apr 2026
275 points (98.9% liked)

World News

56526 readers
1570 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] ryper@lemmy.ca 206 points 2 months ago (8 children)

"Effective immediately, the ​United States Navy, the Finest in ​the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING ‌any ⁠and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz," said Trump, who is strongly opposed to the ​idea of ​Iran charging ⁠ships a toll to pass through the strait.

"I have also ​instructed our Navy to seek and ​interdict ⁠every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one ⁠who ​pays an illegal toll ​will have safe passage on the high seas," he ​said.

Pretty sure what Trump is opposed to is him not getting a cut of the toll.

[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 116 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Once again the whole world has to suffer because of Trump's insatiable ego and greed, and his bottomless stupidity. May he be gone soon.

[–] KoboldCoterie@pawb.social 61 points 2 months ago

He did previously say that as the "winners" of the war, the US was entitled to collect that toll, basically. So, yeah, I think you're spot on.

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 44 points 2 months ago (1 children)

This is truly an April Fools-level move.

The US is closing the Strait? The generals couldn't open it, so Hegseth said, 'Okay! I've got it! We declare that WE'RE closing it, NOT THEM!'

How ... is this better?

[–] stickyprimer@lemmy.world 18 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Iran was allowing some ships through. The logic is that if it’s closed to the US it must be closed to everyone (it was not before).

Do I think this is a good move? No. Do I think Trump and Hegseth have three brain cells between them? No.

But it also isn’t hard to understand their angle here. It’s not better for anyone. But the idea is to make it worse for Iran than the previous phase, where they had control of the strait.

[–] electric_nan@lemmy.ml 10 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Gonna be a hard sell to the rest of the world who is largely able to negotiate passage with Iran. US navy is gonna hijack ships enroute from the strait to China?

[–] stickyprimer@lemmy.world 13 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I agree. A US blockade of Hormuz was actually always a reserve strategy to put a chokehold on China if they invade Taiwan. Now we’re just playing that card for no fucking reason at all. This administration is dumb as fuck and I can’t believe there isn’t even anyone in the military who can stop them. I guess that’s what we see with Hegseth’s long line of dismissals.

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] fartographer@lemmy.world 35 points 2 months ago

Oh good. Nazi pirates. How did we end up with a real life plot more stupid than Water World?

[–] ThePantser@sh.itjust.works 18 points 2 months ago (2 children)

No one ⁠who ​pays an illegal toll ​will have safe passage on the high seas

Does that mean they are gonna attack anyone that paid? Also when he starts charging does that mean they will destroy any ships right after they pay?

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] SilverCode@lemmy.ml 9 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Illegal toll? Who's laws govern the strait that make these tolls illegal?

[–] Typhoon@lemmy.ca 10 points 2 months ago (1 children)

International law says that any toll is illegal.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] JaumeI@programming.dev 136 points 2 months ago (4 children)

Isn't that... piracy? Not USAs waters, not USAs petrol...

[–] Pickleideas@lemmy.world 95 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Hasn't stopped them from stealing oil from Venezuela and Cuba

[–] JaumeI@programming.dev 9 points 2 months ago (6 children)

Sure it hasn't. But now they are ruining the pockets of the whole world.

load more comments (6 replies)
[–] flandish@lemmy.world 17 points 2 months ago (4 children)

no. it’s invasion and war.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] rc__buggy@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 months ago

Sure sounds like it's more piracy to me.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Shellofbiomatter@lemmus.org 83 points 2 months ago (5 children)

Wasn't Iran already doing that before and wasn't the main goal to open it up again?

[–] magnue@lemmy.world 71 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Yeah but if they say it this way it sounds like they're in control of the situation

[–] Eril@feddit.org 10 points 2 months ago

It's so in a few days he can "re-open" the strait again, declaring that everything is back to normal: "No president ever opened as many straits as I did"

[–] mctoasterson@reddthat.com 19 points 2 months ago (5 children)

The idea being to choke off Iran's ability to use it at all. This kills their remaining income stream and also incents the Chinese and others who thought they had a workaround (the tolls) to instead put pressure on Iran.

[–] NobodyElse@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 months ago

But that only works if the US is willing to start attacking unarmed oil tankers, which will do no favors for their international support.

If they hadn’t alienated all their allies, they could build an embargo until the straits were opened but that ship had sailed.

load more comments (3 replies)
load more comments (3 replies)
[–] finallymadeanaccount@lemmy.world 63 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Is it my imagination, or is that stretch of water and the water surrounding it not US territory, thus making what he wants to do (interdict) kind of ... piracy?

[–] Eric@lemmy.blahaj.zone 25 points 2 months ago

Blockading is considered an act of war

[–] whotookkarl@lemmy.dbzer0.com 44 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] GalacticSushi@piefed.blahaj.zone 39 points 2 months ago (3 children)

I think he's just pissed off that Iran is letting Chinese ships thorough. So now the question is whether Trump is stupid and deranged enough to attack any Chinese ships that ignore this illegal blockade, which would probably kick off World War 3 in earnest.

[–] NotSteve_@lemmy.ca 13 points 2 months ago

If it broke out in WW3 then I think most of the world's public support would be behind China. The US has always been a hostile bully but Americans generally kept it contained to poorer countries that didn't have as much of a voice. Now though...

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Akh@lemmy.world 32 points 2 months ago (1 children)

He cant blockade something controlled by someone else who already shut it.

[–] FancyPantsFIRE@lemmy.world 22 points 2 months ago (1 children)

“You can’t quit, you’re fired!”

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] ShellMonkey@piefed.socdojo.com 31 points 2 months ago

He wants the money, that Iran wasn't charging before he invaded, for himself is as near I can figure. Master negotiator with a grand plan.

[–] hemko@lemmy.dbzer0.com 26 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works 11 points 2 months ago (2 children)
load more comments (2 replies)
[–] friend_of_satan@lemmy.world 24 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Open the fucking strait you crazy bastard!

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] crystalmerchant@lemmy.world 19 points 2 months ago

Boy it turns out that George Lucas sure was right about the importance of blockading a trade route

[–] Murse@slrpnk.net 18 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Surely this time people will stop talking about the Epstein files...

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] roguetrick@lemmy.world 17 points 2 months ago

Jesus Christ. I certainly didn't have this on my rapidly flailing bingo card of the US punching itself in the face.

[–] Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 points 2 months ago (1 children)

What's next: America blowing up its own bases in the Middle East? Killing its own soldiers? Crashing its own planes?

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] orlyowl@piefed.ca 15 points 2 months ago

This is a terrifyingly ridiculous timeline we find ourselves in.

[–] redsand@infosec.pub 13 points 2 months ago
[–] BigMacHole@thelemmy.club 11 points 2 months ago

~~Open~~ Close the STRAIT!

-Trump!

[–] rayyy@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago

That's bound to increase the price of oil.

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 8 points 2 months ago

this goes back to are trumps decisions based on some long odd bets on the totally not maninpualted gambling markets.

[–] rwrwefwef@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 months ago

“Effective immediately, the ​United States Navy, the Finest in ​the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING ‌any ⁠and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,”

Or what?

load more comments
view more: next ›