The US military has announced it will begin blocking all Iranian Gulf ports at 1400 GMT on Monday (April 13), while ships not bound for Iran will be allowed to continue transiting the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.“The blockade will be impartially enforced against ships of all countries entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on Sunday.“CENTCOM forces will not hinder freedom of navigation for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz to non-Iranian ports,” it added. He said “any and all ships” would be blocked, softening previous comments by President Donald Trump.The move comes after Trump ordered a comprehensive naval blockade of Islamabad after nearly 20 hours of talks between Washington and Tehran yielded no breakthrough. The US President accused Iran of refusing to give up its nuclear ambitions, despite what he described as largely productive talks.In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump said the talks “went good” and “agreed on most points”, but insisted that Tehran remained “unwavering on the most important issue”, and declared: “Iran is not ready to give up its nuclear ambitions!”Trump said he was “fully briefed” by Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner after the talks with Pakistan.He also accused Iran of reneging on assurances to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and warned that the situation has caused “anxiety, chaos and pain for many people and countries around the world.”“They say they put mines in the water,” Trump wrote. He further said that the uncertainty has already disrupted global shipping. “What shipowner would want to take that chance?”Calling the situation a “world extortion”, Trump said the US would respond with immediate and forceful measures.He said, “Effective immediately, the United States Navy … will begin the process of interdiction of any and all vessels attempting to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz.”He said US forces would “seek out and interdict every vessel in international waters that has paid tolls to Iran,” warning that “anyone who pays illegal tolls will not have safe passage on the high seas.”Trump also said that US naval units would begin clearing mines reportedly laid by Iran and issued a dire warning: “Any Iranian who fires at us or peaceful ships will be blown up!”Describing the current situation as a violation of international norms, he said the blockade will continue until free navigation is restored.At the same time, Trump hinted at a possible off-ramp, saying that “At some point, we will get to the basis of ‘all be allowed in, all be allowed out’,” blaming Iran for preventing such an outcome.
