New Delhi, May 2 -- The United States military blockade in the Gulf of Oman has denied Iran close to $5 billion in oil income since mid-April, according to Pentagon estimates quoted by Axios, as Washington intensifies economic pressure on Tehran to force a negotiated end to the war.

The US Defense Department has estimated that Iran has been denied nearly $5 billion in oil revenue since the Gulf of Oman blockade began on 13 April, according to Pentagon officials, as 31 tankers carrying 53 million barrels of Iranian crude remain stranded and unable to deliver their cargo.

The figures represent what officials describe as unprecedented economic pressure on Tehran's government, and come as peace negotiations between the two countries continu...