Iran threatened ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman on Monday as the US military announced it would begin a blockade of all Iranian ports and coastal regions from Monday as President Donald Trump stepped up pressure on Iran in a move that could push oil prices higher and risk reigniting conflict.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting said: “Security in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is either for everybody or nobody.” “NO PORT in the region will be safe,” the Iranian military and Revolutionary Guards said in a statement.
US Central Command said the blockade would begin at 10:00 a.m. EDT Monday, or 5:30 p.m. in Iran, and would be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports in the Arabian Gulf (Persian Gulf) and the Gulf of Oman.”
However, CENTCOM clarified that vessels traveling between non-Iranian ports will still be allowed to pass through the strait, easing earlier threats of a total blockade, according to the AP.
According to an initial report by Lloyd’s List Intelligence, the announcement halted the limited shipping activity that had resumed in the strait after the ceasefire. Maritime traffic tracking data show that more than 40 commercial ships have passed through since the ceasefire began, compared to around 100 to 135 daily voyages before the conflict.
US-Iranian talks fail in Pakistan
The decision follows prolonged US-Iran ceasefire talks in Pakistan that ended without an agreement on Saturday.
US Vice President JD Vance said the talks broke down after Iran refused to accept US demands to stop developing nuclear weapons. During 21-hour talks held in Pakistan over the weekend, the US military said two destroyers had passed through the strait in preparation for demining operations, the first such move since the start of the war. However, Iran has denied the claim.
The in-person discussions, which ended early Sunday, were the highest-level talks between the two longtime rivals since the Islamic revolution in 1979. Trump said the main reason the talks failed was Iran’s nuclear ambitions. In remarks to Fox News, he also renewed his warning of possible strikes on civilian infrastructure if Iran does not abandon its nuclear program.
Meanwhile, the proposed blockade appears aimed at increasing pressure on Iran, which has continued to export millions of barrels of oil since the conflict began, much of it allegedly through “dark” shipments that bypass Western sanctions and monitoring. Trump is also seeking to weaken Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz, a key route that handled about 20% of the world’s oil supplies before the war.
The US blockade could further unsettle global energy markets, the report said. Oil prices rose sharply in early trading following the announcement. U.S. crude jumped 8% to $104.24 a barrel, while Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose 7% to $102.29 a barrel. Before the war at the end of February, the price of Brent oil hovered around $70 a barrel.
Iran has called for compensation for the damage caused by the US-Israeli strikes that triggered the war on February 28, along with the release of its frozen assets.
