The United States and “Israel” are discussing the possibility of imposing a land blockade on Iran as part of a broader package of measures aimed at intensifying economic pressure on Tehran, according to Britain’s Daily Telegraph.
The newspaper said the discussions follow months of military strikes and an ongoing campaign that, in its assessment, has failed to achieve its objective of forcing the Iranian government to change its conduct.
Sources familiar with the talks said US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed ways to increase economic pressure on Iran “through military and non-military means” during their meeting in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
Pressure on Iran’s Land Borders
The proposed land blockade would involve the United States and Israel pressuring Iran’s neighbouring countries and regional partners to tighten controls at border crossings or close them entirely, restricting the movement of Iranian imports and exports.
A senior Israeli official told the newspaper: “What if the land borders were completely closed? Imagine Iran being unable to bring anything in or take anything out. Then everything would happen.”
The remark referred to one of the scenarios considered during the discussions.
Retired US General Sean MacFarland said imposing a complete land blockade would be “almost impossible”, but argued that depriving Iran of its ability to trade would lead to its economic isolation.
He added that such an approach would require supporting military elements because Iran shares borders with several countries. Tehran’s close relationship with Baghdad would also make stopping the flow of supplies into Iran a complex undertaking.
Key Crossings and Regional Risks
The newspaper said a potential blockade could target major crossings such as Incheh Borun and Sarakhs on the border with Turkmenistan.
Iran shares land borders with Iraq, Türkiye, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan, meaning the plan would require cooperation from these states, even though many are not allies of Washington or Tel Aviv.
Any country agreeing to participate could face economic losses as well as possible Iranian retaliation, the newspaper added.
Closing major ports or border crossings could also limit Iran’s ability to rearm. According to the report, Tehran is awaiting a shipment of hundreds of Chinese missile launchers under a new agreement to expand military cooperation with Beijing.
The agreement reportedly also includes man-portable air defence systems valued at around $70 million.
Ships arriving from China usually dock at the southern Iranian ports of Bandar Abbas and Chabahar, making those ports potential targets of any tightened blockade measures.
Trump Reportedly Reconsidering Current Strategy
A source familiar with the discussions said Trump now believes his current strategy related to the Strait of Hormuz has reached a dead end.
The source said he is considering different forms of escalation that could pressure Iran to return to negotiations.
The proposed land blockade would be consistent with the US administration’s “maximum pressure” policy, which seeks to weaken Iran’s economy following the implementation of a naval blockade.
The Daily Telegraph also suggested that discussion of a land blockade may form part of a strategic deception effort intended to divert the Iranian leadership’s attention from the next step being prepared by the United States and Israel.
Reported Divisions Within Iran
Intelligence assessments reportedly indicate divisions within the Iranian leadership between one faction that fears economic collapse and another that believes the war should continue.
The Israeli source also claimed that Iran is suffering from severe fuel shortages, with long queues forming outside petrol stations that have run out of diesel.
Israeli officials described the Trump-Netanyahu meeting as “positive and friendly”, saying the two sides discussed three possible approaches towards Iran.
These included reaching an agreement, continuing the naval blockade or resuming military strikes. Netanyahu reportedly did not advocate for any particular option.
One official said the United States was continuing to enforce the naval blockade imposed on Iran.
The official added that Israel viewed its operations as intended to prevent what it described as “future threats”, while acknowledging that the confrontation remained an ongoing challenge.
New US Air Strikes Reported
The newspaper also reported that the United States launched a “large” wave of air strikes against Iran on Wednesday evening.
The strikes were described as retaliation for an Iranian attack on US bases in Jordan after five days of calm.
The newspaper characterised the Iranian attack as “surprising” and unusual in its timing.
A White House official said: “The commander-in-chief has every option available to deal with the situation,” indicating that the US administration was not ruling out any scenario in the next phase..
