Exclusive: US naval blockade is paralysing daily life, Iranians tell Euronews

# Why This Matters The reported US naval blockade represents a fundamental shift in economic warfare tactics with severe humanitarian consequences that extend far beyond Tehran's government. When inflation reaches 70 percent, ordinary Iranians face impossible choices between food, medicine, and heating fuel—the kind of deprivation that historically destabilizes societies and can trigger mass migration, disease outbreaks, or political upheaval that ultimately creates regional instability. This strategy also fundamentally alters the calculus of international diplomacy, as it removes the government's ability to negotiate from any position of economic strength and may harden Tehran's resistance rather than encourage concessions. For the US and Europe, the blockade raises critical questions about whether collective punishment of a civilian population aligns with international humanitarian law and whether it serves stated policy goals or simply deepens anti-American sentiment that could reshape Middle Eastern geopolitics for decades.