U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the navy to enforce restrictions on ships accessing Iranian ports through the Strait of Hormuz. The decision came after marathon peace talks in Islamabad collapsed without agreement, dashing hopes for a swift end to the escalating conflict.
The negotiations, hosted by Pakistan and led for the U.S. by Vice President JD Vance, dragged on for more than 21 hours. They foundered amid deep divisions, with Washington demanding Iran abandon its nuclear ambitions entirely, while Tehran pushed for control of the vital waterway, war reparations, a regional ceasefire including Lebanon, and the release of frozen assets overseas.
Trump wasted no time responding on Truth Social. “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 wrote. “The Blockade will begin shortly. Other Countries will be involved with this Blockade. Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION.”
U.S. Central Command specified that the measures would start at 10am Eastern Time on Monday. They target only vessels heading to or from Iranian facilities in the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, leaving neutral traffic unaffected. Commercial shipping will receive prior warnings.
Trump, appearing on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures, described it as an all-or-nothing stance to counter what he called Iran’s extortion via mine threats and planned tolls.
“At some point, we will reach an ‘ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT’ basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen by merely saying, ‘There may be a mine out there somewhere,’ that nobody knows about but them,” he said.
“THIS IS WORLD EXTORTION, and Leaders of Countries, especially the United States of America, will never be extorted.”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps branded approaching warships a ceasefire violation and vowed retaliation, while insisting civilian passage remains open under rules. Parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf took to X to highlight U.S. petrol prices. “Enjoy the current pump figures. With the so-called ‘blockade,’ Soon you’ll be nostalgic for $4–$5 gas.”
The strait handles one-fifth of global oil, and its curbs have already sent prices above $100 a barrel, battering economies. Trump warned of strikes on Iranian infrastructure if needed—“I would hate to do it, but it’s their water, their desalinization plans, their electric-generating plants, which are very easy to hit”—and threatened 50% tariffs on any aiding nations, including China.
“No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.” Allies’ roles stay murky, with the UK backing navigation freedom but not the blockade.