Trump's blockade COLLAPSES as Iranian 'ghost ships' bypass US Navy during shaky ceasefire amid uneasy oil prices

By PHILLIP NIETO, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 13:18, 22 April 2026 | Updated: 13:26, 22 April 2026 Donald Trump's naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is unraveling after dozens of Iranian vessels secretly slipped past US surveillance, even as the regime tightened its grip on the critical oil passageway by attacking three tankers. Approximately 34 Iranian oil tankers have slipped through the blockade, with 19 vessels exiting the Persian Gulf past Trump's navy and another 15 ships entering from the Arabian Sea toward Iran, according to the Financial Times.  Six of those tankers were smuggling Iranian crude oil totaling 10.7 million barrels, estimated to be worth approximately $910 million in revenue for the regime. The report comes as Iran has seized two cargo ships on Wednesday morning after attacking them as well as a third in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing the vessels of being 'non-compliant' with the regime's demands. It comes after US President Donald Trump announced last night he would extend the ceasefire but continue the American naval blockade of Iranian ports, as a way of exerting pressure on the Islamic Republic to reopen the vital waterway. As reports of Iranian gunfire on three container ships emerged, oil prices rose with Brent crude futures up to $99.21 a barrel. Gas prices in the US have skyrocketed to above $4 a gallon as polling suggests the public is turning against Trump's war.  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.