Esper: Trump reimposing naval blockade on Iran ‘the right move’

The Hill reports that former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who served during Trump's first term, endorsed Trump's decision to reimpose a naval blockade on Iranian ports, calling it 'the right move' during a CNN appearance Monday. The article is sourced from a named official and a specific on-air statement, meeting basic journalistic standards, though the description provided lacks detail about Esper's substantive reasoning, context for the blockade policy, or counterarguments. Independent coverage from AP, Reuters, NYT, and Washington Post corroborates that Trump ordered reinstatement of the blockade and announced plans to charge a 20 percent fee on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz; however, these outlets add critical context that such fees would contradict international law and that the blockade follows recent mutual military strikes between the U.S. and Iran, escalating regional tensions. Watch for responses from Iran, international maritime authorities, and Congressional oversight bodies, as well as clarification on the legal basis for the proposed shipping fees, which multiple outlets note conflict with existing maritime law.