The United States and Israel are considering a land blockade against Iran that would require cooperation from Tehran's neighbors and risk widening regional conflict, The Telegraph reported Friday. President Donald Trump discussed the plan with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their Washington meeting Tuesday, alongside other military and non-military options aimed at further isolating Iran economically.
Trump believes the existing naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz has reached its limit, according to the report. A senior Israeli official told The Telegraph the concept would involve stopping all goods flowing in and out of Iran by land. "What if you just blocked the land?" the official said. "Suppose Iran can't bring anything in and cannot take anything out. Anything will happen."
Regional States Face Impossible Choice
A land blockade would require participation from Iran's seven land neighbors: Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Each would face Iranian retaliation if they agreed to restrict goods bound for or coming from Tehran, the report said. The plan would demand that Washington and Jerusalem persuade these states to enact trade restrictions — a diplomatic challenge complicated by existing regional alignments.
Retired U.S. three-star general Sean MacFarland called the idea "almost impossible" while acknowledging its significance. "If you take away Iran's ability to trade... then you are isolating them economically," MacFarland said. "That's the way to bring them to their knees." He added that "the economic approach is the concise one, but it must have kinetic elements."
MacFarland pointed to a fundamental obstacle: "Iran borders a whole bunch of countries over land, and Iraq is very aligned with Iran. That would make it very difficult to stop any support from getting in."
Context of Escalation
The blockade discussion comes as Iran attempts to rearm following U.S. and Israeli Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion earlier this year. The Telegraph reported Iran recently ordered Chinese shoulder-launched missile systems as part of its rearmament effort.
The senior Israeli official framed previous strikes on Iran as defensive necessity. "We are protecting not only our lives but yours as well, and we're fighting the battle of civilization against barbarism," the official said, referring to earlier U.S. and Israeli operations. "We took out that lump of cancer because if we hadn't, we'd be dead, and we didn't have a choice."
The official continued: "But it doesn't mean that we don't have to keep on taking out the attempts to do this thing to you know to come back. We're doing that, and we're able to do that. But it's still a challenge."
Questions About Intent
The Telegraph noted the reported plan may actually be a ruse designed to draw attention from other military preparations, coming at a time when Iran faces supply shortages. Whether the blockade represents serious planning or strategic misdirection remains unclear.
Why This Matters:
A land blockade of Iran would represent a dramatic escalation with unpredictable regional consequences. Iran's neighbors would face pressure to choose between Washington and Tehran — a choice that could destabilize countries already managing complex internal and external pressures. Iraq's alignment with Iran, as MacFarland noted, makes enforcement nearly impossible without military confrontation. The plan reflects growing U.S.-Israeli coordination on Iran policy, but it also risks expanding conflict beyond the current naval chokepoint in the Strait of Hormuz. If neighboring states refuse to participate, the blockade fails. If they agree, they invite Iranian retaliation that could trigger wider war. The civilian populations of Iran and its neighbors would bear the costs of either outcome — through economic collapse, displacement, or direct violence. The question isn't whether a blockade could work technically, but whether the region can survive the attempt.