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CENTCOM said the blockade will be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations.”
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy’s speedboats move during war drills. (IMAGE: REUTERS FILE)
US-Iran War: The United States has begun enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, marking a major escalation in regional tensions followed by Tehran’s threat to retaliate against its Gulf neighbours’ ports after weekend talks in Islamabad on ending the war broke down.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem urged the Lebanese government to cancel planned talks with Israel in Washington, reiterating group’s rejection of direct negotiations with its foe.
Here are the latest developments.
US Begins Blockade In Strait Of Hormuz
The US on Monday said it began blocking ships from entering or exiting Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, attempting to ratchet up pressure on Iran to reopen the key oil route after peace negotiations collapsed.
“We can’t let a country blackmail or extort the world, because that’s what they’re doing,” President Donald Trump told reporters outside the Oval Office after the blockade took effect.
CENTCOM said the blockade will be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations.” However, it added that ships traveling between non-Iranian ports will still be allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump also warned that any Iranian “fast attack ships” approaching US forces would be destroyed immediately.
“If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It is quick and brutal.”
Trump said that 34 ships had passed through the Strait of Hormuz despite the tensions, calling it the highest number since the disruption began.
A US official said the move is aimed at demonstrating the limits of Iran’s leverage as negotiations stall.
Iran Vows Retaliation
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led Tehran’s delegation in Pakistan, said Tehran would “not bow to any threats” from Washington, while navy chief Shahram Irani called Trump’s blockade threat “ridiculous”.
Brigadier General Reza Talaei-Nik, a spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Defence, warned that foreign military efforts to police the strait would escalate the crisis and instability in global energy security.
NATO allies including Britain and France said they would not be drawn into the conflict negotiation by taking part in the blockade, stressing instead the need to reopen the waterway, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil normally passes.
Trump Claims Iran ‘Called’ After Failed Islamabad Talks
Meanwhile, Trump claimed that Iranian representatives had reached out following the failure of Pakistan-mediated talks on the weekend, saying that Tehran is now keen to return to negotiations for a peace deal.
Speaking to reporters outside the Oval Office, Trump said Washington had been contacted by the other side after the Islamabad discussions ended without agreement.
“I can tell you that we’ve been called by the other side. They’d like to make a deal. Very badly, very badly,” Trump told reporters, without identifying which officials had called.
No Apology Over Pope Remarks
Trump also refused to issue an apology to Pope Leo XIV on his derogatory comments against the pontiff over the ongoing Iran war, saying that the latter said things that are wrong.
While addressing the reporters, the US President doubled down on his criticisms after was questioned about his remarks towards the US-born Pope.
“There’s nothing to apologise for. Pope Leo said things that are wrong. He was very much against what I’m doing with regard to Iran, and you cannot have a nuclear Iran. Pope Leo would not be happy with the end result,” Trump said, adding, “I think he’s very weak on crime and other things so I’m not” going to apologise.
Hezbollah Chief Urges Lebanon To Cancel Washington Peace Talks
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem on Monday urged the Lebanese government to cancel planned talks with Israel in Washington, reiterating group’s rejection of direct negotiations with its foe.
“We reject negotiations with the usurping Israeli entity… We call for a historic and heroic stance by cancelling this negotiating meeting,” Qassem, whose Iran-backed group has been at war with Israel since March 2, said in a televised address, news agency AFP reported.
The meeting, scheduled for Tuesday in the United States, would bring together the two countries’ ambassadors for rare face-to-face talks. Lebanon has said it intends to use the meeting to push for a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict, while Israel has indicated it wants broader peace negotiations and the disarmament of Hezbollah.
Oil Prices Surge
Meanwhile, global oil markets reacted swiftly to West Asia developments, with US benchmark crude climbing back above $100 per barrel today after the collapse of talks and Trump’s order to proceed with the blockade.
Fatih Birol warned that April could be a more difficult month for energy markets.
He noted that while March shipments were fulfilled from earlier loading, fresh supplies have been disrupted. “The longer the disruption is, the more severe the problem becomes,” he said.
(With inputs from agencies)
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
April 14, 2026, 04:22 IST
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