12:01 13-04-2026
US Hormuz Strait Blockade Raises Nuclear Escalation Risk
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US plans to block the Hormuz Strait may trigger global tensions, conflict with Iran, and even nuclear escalation, warns a military expert. Read full analysis.
A potential U.S. move to block the Strait of Hormuz could set off a chain reaction with far-reaching and dangerous consequences, including the risk of nuclear escalation, military analyst Yuri Knutov has warned.
The concerns follow a statement made on April 12, when U. S. President Donald Trump announced plans to shut down maritime traffic through the стратегический waterway. He also signaled that American forces would monitor international waters and detain vessels that had paid Tehran for passage along the route.
Knutov noted that Washington has the necessary military capabilities to enforce a full-scale blockade. At the same time, he stressed that such a step would almost certainly trigger a sharp escalation in tensions.
According to his assessment, the impact would not be limited to Iran. While China possesses oil reserves sufficient for more than 280 days, India and a number of other countries would be significantly more exposed to the fallout.
The analyst also pointed to the likelihood of a forceful Iranian response. He suggested that Tehran could launch strikes on U.S. naval assets using anti-ship missiles and attack drones, as well as target remaining American bases in the region-estimated at around 12 to 13 facilities, many of which are already damaged or partially destroyed.
In such a scenario, Knutov indicated, the United States could retaliate by striking Iranian infrastructure, including Khark Island. He further warned that continued escalation could push the situation into an extremely dangerous phase, where the use of tactical nuclear weapons by Washington cannot be ruled out.
He outlined a possible chain of events in which U.S. strikes on Iranian uranium enrichment sites might provoke Tehran to target Israel’s reactor in Dimona, followed by Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear power plant in Bushehr, leading to multiple nuclear incidents.