Middle East Report: U.S. Blockade Chokes Iran’s Oil Exports as Tehran and the Houthis Escalate Attacks
A fleet of tankers in the Persian Gulf, November 11, 2026. Photo courtesy of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). Iran exported a single cargo of liquefied petroleum gas in October as the U.S. naval blockade cut its petroleum exports to a trickle. Tanker incidents were reported near the Strait of Hormuz on November 10 and 11, and Iran-backed Houthis fired on Saudi Arabia