Blockade

A blockade is the use of military force to prevent food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, entering or leaving a country or region. Unlike sanctions or an embargo, which are legal barriers to trade, a blockade is physical. Blockades are distinct from sieges in that a blockade is usually directed at an entire country or region, rather than a fortress or city, and the objective of a blockade is not necessarily to conquer the area.