Iranian official warns Strait of Hormuz blockade would be ‘worse than war’

Majidreza Hariri, head of the Iran-China Chamber of Commerce, told the Iranian website KhabarOnline that a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would be 'worse than war' for Iran and could result in costs of $18 billion. Hariri stated that Iran should not become accustomed to blockades as it has with sanctions, adding that the country should force the United States to bear the cost of lifting any such blockade, even if it leads to conflict. These comments follow a report by The Jerusalem Post on 17 July 2026 regarding the activity of US forces in the Strait of Hormuz. The report did not provide further details on the nature of the blockade mentioned by the official or whether such a blockade is currently in effect. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global artery for oil and gas transit, and any disruption to shipping could have significant economic and security consequences. While Hariri emphasised the need to prevent economic pressure on Iran from becoming normalised, he did not provide a clear explanation for how the $18 billion figure was calculated.