Waltz Signals US May Board Iran-Linked Vessels, Says ‘All Options Are on the Table’

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz declared Sunday that “all options are on the table” regarding efforts to curb Iran’s influence over the Strait of Hormuz, stopping short of ruling out the boarding of Iran-linked vessels bound for China. The comments mark one of the most pointed signals yet from the Trump administration that it is weighing direct maritime interdiction as part of its escalating pressure campaign against Tehran.

Waltz, a former Republican congressman from Florida and ex-Green Beret who briefly served as National Security Advisor before being nominated to the U.N. post, framed the administration’s posture as a broad effort to limit both Iran’s military leverage over the Strait of Hormuz and the economic benefits it derives from the waterway. The Strait, a narrow passage between Iran and Oman connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, sees roughly 20 million barrels of oil pass through it daily, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data. Any disruption or militarization of the strait has historically sent shockwaves through global energy markets, and Iran has periodically threatened to close it in response to Western pressure.

The question of boarding vessels bound for China touches one of the most sensitive seams in U.S. foreign policy. China has emerged as the principal customer of sanctioned Iranian oil, with independent analysts estimating that Chinese “teapot” refineries absorb the vast majority of Tehran’s crude exports, often routed through ship-to-ship transfers and tankers that disable their transponders to evade detection. Direct U.S. interdiction of such vessels could constitute a significant escalation, raising thorny questions under international maritime law, the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the potential for confrontation with Beijing. Previous administrations have generally preferred financial sanctions, secondary sanctions on refiners, and diplomatic pressure rather than kinetic naval action.

Analysts will be watching closely for any follow-up action by U.S. naval assets in the region, including the 5th Fleet based in Bahrain, as well as any reaction from Beijing, Tehran, or allied Gulf states. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy has historically responded to perceived threats to its oil trade with small-boat harassment and commercial ship seizures, raising the risk of miscalculation. Congressional reaction is also likely to be swift, as any boarding operation could implicate War Powers Resolution questions and force a debate over the scope of executive authority for offensive maritime action absent new congressional authorization.