The American military will start the naval blockade of Iran beginning Monday (April 13) following the directives issued by President Donald Trump after the talks with Iran failed to end the deadlock between the two countries, said the US Central Command in a statement in early hours of the day.
The blockade will be enforced "impartially" against the vessels of every country that enters or departs from Iranian ports and coastal areas, the Central Command said, adding that this includes ports on the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
"U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces will begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on April 13 at 10 a.m. ET," it said. "CENTCOM forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports."
In its brief statement, it said additional information will be provided to commercial mariners through a formal notice prior to the start of the blockade. "All mariners are advised to monitor Notice to Mariners broadcasts and contact U.S. naval forces on bridge-to-bridge channel 16 when operating in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz approaches," it said.
The failed talks in Islamabad
The development comes after the 21-hour talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan's Islamabad failed. In a short media briefing, Vice President JD Vance, who led the US delegation, said the Americans gave their "final and best" offer to the Iranians, highlighting that Washington needs guarantees that Tehran will not seek a nuclear weapon.
In response, Iran blamed the US and said the talks failed due to "unreasonable" demands. Hours later, President Donald Trump, in a long Truth Social post, announced the naval blockade and said the US will clear the mines in the Hormuz and reopen it to all shipping. However, Iran has said it will not bow to the threats from the US.
Iran has already restricted Hormuz, which is one of the key transit points in the world, allowing only friendly countries to pass. The tensions and the naval blockade will further disrupt the global supply chains that are already strained by the conflict. It must be mentioned that following Trump's announcement, the US oil benchmark rebounded above USD 100 a barrel.
Brent crude has swung dramatically during the Iran war, rising from roughly USD 70 per barrel before the war in late February to more than USD 119 at times. Ahead of the talks on Friday, Brent for June delivery fell 0.8 per cent to USD 95.20 per barrel.
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