US-Iran war: US naval blockade against Iran begins; UKMTO confirms enforcement at Iranian ports

The vessel-tracker MarineTraffic said Monday in a post on the social platform X that the ships reversed course within minutes of approaching the critical waterway, shortly after the US blockade began. It said one of the tankers departed the United Arab Emirates’ Sharjah anchorage on Monday, bound for China. It was not immediately clear where the second vessel was headed.

Trump is refusing to apologize for sharply criticizing Pope Leo, saying that the pontiff “went public” in his criticisms of the war in Iran, and "I'm just responding." In comments to reporters outside the Oval Office, Trump added, “There’s nothing to apologize for” and said of Leo, "He's wrong."

Trump was also asked about posting an image of himself as a saint-like healer, which seemed to draw comparisons between himself and Jesus Christ.

Shosh Bedrosian told reporters Monday that upcoming talks with Lebanon will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between the two countries. "We will not discuss a ceasefire with Hezbollah, which continues to carry out indiscriminate attacks against Israel and our civilians," she said.

US President Donald Trump made the comment on social media just after the blockade of Iran was expected to begin. Trump said Iran has some "fast attack ships" remaining even after much of its navy was destroyed by U.S. strikes. "Warning: 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 his Truth Social platform.

"It is quick and brutal," he added.

The American military naval blockade against Iran has officially commenced following the expiry of the deadline established by US President Donald Trump. Confirming the start of the operation, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) stated it has received reports that "maritime access restrictions are being enforced affecting Iranian ports and coastal areas, including locations along the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Sea east of the Strait of Hormuz."

The UKMTO said these access restrictions apply without distinction to vessels of any flag engaging with Iranian ports, oil terminals, or coastal facilities. However, transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations is not

They were killed in two separate strikes in southern Gaza Monday, according to health officials at Nasser hospital, where the bodies arrived. 

The chief of Russia's state nuclear corporation said Monday it was pulling nearly all of its remaining personnel from Iran’s Russia-built nuclear power plant. Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev said 108 workers were leaving the power plant in Bushehr, and only 20 will stay behind to keep watch of the equipment. Likhachev said Russia has coordinated the evacuation with Iranian authorities. 

Since the start of the war, Russia has repeatedly voiced concern about projectiles hitting the territory of the plant, some of them landing near its nuclear reactor. Russia had planned the near complete evacuation long before the ceasefire, removing about 600 personnel in several waves in March and earlier this month.

Iran's ambassador to India said Tehran is open to talks with the United States if Washington refrains from making "unlawful demands." Mohammad Fathali was referring to talks held in Islamabad and said the main sticking points were Iran’s nuclear program, war reparations and sanctions relief. Asked about the prospects for future negotiations, Fathali told reporters in New Delhi, "If they (the US) accept our conditions, it is possible."

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke by phone with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The ministers discussed the Islamabad talks between Iran and the US which failed to achieve a deal, according to the Iranian foreign ministry.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he has spoken with U.S. Vice President JD Vance about the negotiations in Pakistan. Netanyahu said the pair spoke Sunday while Vance was on the plane returning from the negotiations in Islamabad. Israel supports President Donald Trump's "strong stance to impose a naval blockade on Iran," Netanyahu said, adding that Israel backs the US position that Iran must remove all of its enriched nuclear material and must refrain from any enrichment within Iran for several decades.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that whatever the pressure, Britain would not be dragged into the Iran war nor be involved in a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. "We're not supporting the blockade," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Russia said Monday that a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will likely hurt global markets. Asked to comment on the US announcement of a blockade on Iran’s ports and coastline, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "Most likely, such actions will continue to negatively impact international markets, this can be assumed with a high degree of certainty."

Peskov told reporters: "Many details remain unclear and incomprehensible, so I would refrain from making any substantive comments at this time."

Iran and US were "inches away" from an "Islamabad MoU" following "intensive talks at highest level in 47 years:, Iran's FM Araghchi said yesterday. In a post on X, he added that "we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade. Zero lessons earned. Good will begets good will. Enmity begets enmity."

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said the US-Iran ceasefire could be extended for 45 to 60 days to allow the negotiations to continue. "If the parties make good progress, an additional ceasefire could be introduced — lasting 45 to 60 days — so that negotiations can continue," he said in an interview with state-run Anadolu Agency. He cautioned however, that Israel remains "a factor" that could disrupt the negotiations. The nuclear issue could also become a sticking point, he said.

"If the nuclear matter turns into an all‑or‑nothing situation, especially regarding enrichment, we could face a serious obstacle," Fidan said. "But hopefully, with the support of mediators and other countries, we will try to overcome this as well."

At least three Palestinians in Gaza were killed in an Israeli air strike.

Rescue teams in the capital city of Tehran have pulled around 960 people alive from beneath collapsed buildings, according to Iran’s Red Crescent Society. The organisation said the rescues followed air strikes linked to US-Israeli attacks on the city, as reported by the IRNA news agency.

The Red Crescent Society stated that widespread damage has been recorded across Iran. It said a total of 125,630 civilian structures have been affected nationwide.

Iran threatened ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman after the US announced a blockade on Iran's ports and coastline.

"Security in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is either for everyone or for no one," according to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, IRIB.

Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations welcomed the US-Iran ceasefire and urged it to lead to a permanent resolution and regional stability. In a joint statement, the 10-member group stressed the global importance of energy supply and trade routes.

Iran has restored train operations on major routes linking Tehran with Tabriz and Mashhad after railway infrastructure was repaired, according to state media reports. Services had been suspended for four to five days following damage caused by recent strikes on transport networks. 

Lebanon’s Health Ministry states that the number of people killed since the beginning of the Israeli military escalation on March 2 has reached 2,055.

Shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz has come to a sudden halt once again after fresh geopolitical tensions. Maritime tracking sources reported that vessels which had already been moving at reduced levels stopped operating almost immediately following an announcement by the US president about a possible blockade.

According to maritime intelligence firm Lloyd’s List, traffic through the key waterway had still been continuing on Sunday, although at a much slower pace than normal. After news of the proposed blockade emerged, shipping movements through the strait reportedly ceased again.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said Iran would have by now prepared Nuclear weapons if Israel hadn't acted in time.   

Lebanon’s Health Ministry states that the number of people killed since the beginning of the Israeli military escalation on March 2 has reached 2,055.

Oil prices climbed in early trading on Sunday after the United States announced plans to blockade Iranian ports starting Monday. US crude jumped about 8% to $104.24 per barrel, while Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose around 7% to $102 per barrel.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open. He also stated that Australia has not been asked by the United States to support any blockade of the area.

His remarks came after recent comments from US President Donald Trump regarding naval action in the region.

The United States military has announced that it will start a blockade of Iranian ports following the collapse of ceasefire talks. The move comes after discussions between the United States and Iran ended without any agreement.

President Donald Trump stated that the US Navy will quickly begin stopping ships from entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz.  US Central Command has also confirmed the decision. It said that all Iranian ports will be placed under blockade starting on Monday at 10 am EDT, which is 5:30 pm local time in Iran.

Reacting to the failure of talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Washington must do away with its “totalitarian” approach for any agreement to be possible. He stressed that a deal could be reached if the US respects Iran’s rights and adopts a fair stance.

US President Donald Trump on Monday categorically said Iran was not going to have nuclear weapons after the talks between two sides failed to yield results in Islamabad.   

"I think Iran is in very bad shape. I think they're very desperate. We had a meeting that lasted 21 hours. We understand the situation better than anybody. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. There is no way that they're going to get it. They still want it, and they made that clear the other night. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon," he said.