President Donald Trump has ordered the United States Navy to commence an immediate and "complete" naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The directive follows the collapse of high-stakes ceasefire negotiations between Washington and Tehran held in the Pakistani capital this weekend.
The announcement, delivered via Truth Social and subsequent interviews, marks a severe escalation in the Middle East conflict. President Trump confirmed that the blockade aims to halt all maritime traffic entering or exiting the strategic waterway, which previously handled approximately 20% of global oil supplies.
"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," the President stated. He further warned that any Iranian forces that engage U.S. or commercial vessels would be "blown to hell."
The 21-hour marathon talks in Islamabad failed primarily over Iran's refusal to abandon its nuclear enrichment programme. Vice President JD Vance, the lead U.S. negotiator, noted that while some substantive discussions occurred, Tehran remained "unyielding" on its nuclear ambitions. "The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement, and I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it is for the United States," Vance said.
Beyond stopping transit, the President has instructed the Navy to interdict any vessel in international waters that has paid a "transit toll" to Iran, a practice he described as "extortion." The U.S. also plans to deploy advanced minesweepers, reportedly with support from the UK and other allies, to clear explosives allegedly placed by Iranian forces.
In response, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that its forces maintain "full control" of the shipping bottleneck. A statement from the IRGC naval command cautioned that "the enemy will become trapped in a deadly vortex" should they make a "wrong move."
Market analysts warn that the blockade could trigger a global energy crisis, as the 14-day ceasefire is set to expire on April 22.