After failed US-Iran ceasefire negotiations in Pakistan, President Donald Trump on Sunday said the US Navy would swiftly begin a blockade of ships entering or leaving the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) later announced that the blockade would apply to all Iranian ports, starting Monday at 10 AM EDT (5:30 PM in Iran and 7:30 PM in India). It said the measure would be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations.”
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However, CENTCOM mentioned that ships travelling between non-Iranian ports would still be allowed to pass through the strait.
This effectively narrows the scope of the blockade from Trump’s earlier warning of a complete shutdown, allowing traffic to continue as long as it avoids Iranian ports.
Trump’s warning
In a social media post, Trump had said, “Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.”
He also accused Iran of attempting to control passage through the route. Referring to alleged plans to mine the strait and impose tolls, Trump described the move as “WORLD EXTORTION, and Leaders of Countries, especially the United States of America, will never be extorted.”
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The president further warned that the US Navy would act against ships beyond the immediate zone, saying vessels that paid such tolls would be stopped and that “no one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.”
Strait of Hormuz update
The Strait of Hormuz remains a key global energy corridor. Before the conflict, it handled around 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. While some shipping has resumed since the ceasefire, traffic levels remain below normal, with more than 40 commercial vessels reported to have crossed in recent days.
The broader war, which began on February 28 with coordinated US and Israeli strikes, has left a heavy toll across the region. Thousands have been killed, including at least 3,000 in Iran, over 2,000 in Lebanon, and dozens elsewhere, while infrastructure damage has spread across multiple Middle Eastern countries.
With tensions rising and no agreement in place, the situation in and around the Strait of Hormuz remains uncertain.
Iran’s response
Iran responded with a warning. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard said the strait remains under Iran’s “full control” and is open to non-military vessels, but added that military ships would face a “forceful response.”
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who led Tehran’s delegation in the talks, issued a direct message:
“If you fight, we will fight.”
21-hour negotiations in Pakistan
During the 21-hour negotiations in Pakistan, the US military said two destroyers had passed through the strait ahead of mine-clearing operations, a claim Iran denied.
Trump has linked the failure of the talks to Iran’s nuclear programme and reiterated warnings of possible strikes on civilian infrastructure in comments to Fox News.
The negotiations — the highest-level direct engagement between the two countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution — ended without clarity on the next steps. Both sides have also not indicated what will happen once the current ceasefire expires on April 22.
US Vice President JD Vance said Washington’s position remains firm: “We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon.”
