The ‘navalization’ of economic warfare sees trade routes become zones of force rather than rules

With the declining power of financial sanctions, many countries are now physically boarding ships to enforce scattershot rules of trade, conflict and commerce.

By: John Calabrese, American University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: July 6, 2026

Words: 1,441

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 2 days ago

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By John Calabrese, American University

With more than 80% of global trade by volume being transported by sea, maritime shipping lanes are indispensable to the world economy. That fact was starkly illustrated by the war in Iran, which saw Tehran effectively close the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic and Washington respond with a blockade of Iranian ports.

Yet such recent events are an aberration from much of the post-Cold War period, during …

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