Iran's business community is warning that a renewed U.S. naval blockade could inflict deeper damage than direct conflict, with Majidreza Hariri, head of the Iran-China Joint Chamber of Commerce, estimating about $18 billion a year in added transport costs if trade is pushed from sea to land. Hariri said moving a single container between Iran and China would rise to $12,000 from about $3,000, and that the burden would multiply across the roughly 2 million containers that pass through Iran's southern ports each year. He argued that land routes could cover basic needs for a time, but the economy would eventually "grind to a halt," while Tehran may seek to end the blockade through negotiations or other forms of pressure. The warning comes as President Donald Trump leans on economic isolation after U.S. military bombing failed to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz (a key oil shipping chokepoint), while shortages, inflation, lost oil revenue and the risk of further unrest sharpen the pressure on Tehran.