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Associated Press
- April 13, 2026 08:00 am
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The United States military announced it would begin a blockade of all Iranian ports and coastal areas on Monday, softening President Donald Trump's earlier pledge to completely block the strategic Strait of Hormuz after initial reports indicated that ships had been stopped from passing through the waterway.
The move came after marathon ceasefire talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan ended without an agreement, setting the stage for a possible confrontation. Iranian leaders vowed to retaliate against the blockade.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the blockade would begin on Monday at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time (EDT), or 17:30 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 and Gulf of Oman.” CENTCOM added that it would still allow ships traveling between non-Iranian ports to pass through the strait, a retreat from the president’s earlier threat to block the entire strait.
Trump later confirmed the departure time in a post on his Truth Social network.
The announcement of the blockade halted the limited ship traffic that had resumed in the strait after the ceasefire, according to an early report by Lloyd's List Intelligence. According to maritime trackers, more than 40 merchant ships have passed through since the ceasefire began, down from about 100 to 135 ship crossings per day before the war.
Later Sunday, Trump expanded his war-related clash with Pope Leo XIV, sharply criticizing him in a post on Truth Social, calling the Catholic leader “weak on foreign policy.” The unusual statement came after Pope Leo had condemned the war and urged political leaders to stop and negotiate for peace.
Trump on the blockade of Hormuz: Iran is blackmailing the world, it will not be tolerated
Photo: Associated Press
United States President Donald Trump has said that Iran is blackmailing the world with the Strait of Hormuz, which is why he has pushed the US to impose a naval blockade on Iran.
The naval blockade went into effect a few hours ago.
"Iran is really blackmailing the world and we will not allow that to happen," Trump said at a press conference, the BBC reports.
He said that the US does not use the Strait of Hormuz because it has its own oil and gas.
Trump, meanwhile, said that Iranian leaders are looking to make a deal and that he "got a call this morning from the right people."
But Trump said Iran will not be allowed to have nuclear weapons. Trump has meanwhile refused to apologize to Pope Leo.
NATO refuses to get involved in blocking the Strait of Hormuz
Photo: Associated Press
NATO allies said on Monday they would not join US President Donald Trump's plan to block the Strait of Hormuz, proposing instead to intervene only after the fighting ends, a move likely to anger Trump and increase tensions in the alliance.
Trump said the US military would work with other countries to block all maritime traffic in the waterways after weekend talks failed to produce a deal to end the six-week conflict with Iran. The US military later specified that the blockade, which began at 16:00 p.m. Kosovo time, would only apply to ships going to or from Iranian ports.
Since the start of the war on February 28, Iran has largely blocked the strait to all but its own ships. It has sought to make its control of the strait permanent and perhaps collect tolls from ships using it.
"The blockade will begin soon. Other countries will be included in this blockade," Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Sunday.
But NATO allies, including Britain and France, have said they would not be drawn into the conflict by participating in the blockade, saying they were instead working on an initiative to open the waterway, through which a fifth of global oil supplies normally pass.
Their refusal to participate is another point of friction with Trump, who has threatened to withdraw from the military alliance and is considering withdrawing some US troops from Europe after several countries denied US military aircraft the use of their airspace for strikes on Iran.
Trump warns of eliminating Iranian ships that violate the blockade in Hormuz
Photo: Associated Press
US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to eliminate Iranian ships that violate the blockade imposed on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on Truth Social, shortly after the blockade of Iranian ports began, as previously scheduled by him to begin at 16:00 PM Kosovo time, Trump wrote that the elimination would be done in the same way as drug trafficking ships are hit at sea.
"Iran's Navy is at the bottom of the sea, completely destroyed - 158 ships. What we have not hit is a small number of what they call 'fast attack craft' because we did not consider them a major threat. Warning: If any of these ships approach our blockade, they will be eliminated immediately, using the same kill system we use against drug traffickers on ships at sea. It is fast and brutal," Trump wrote.
Trump announced the blockade on Sunday, due to the failure of talks between the US and Iran, held in Islamabad on Saturday.
The marathon talks, which lasted 21 hours, ended without any agreement on ending the war, with both sides accusing each other of failure.
Pakistan announced on Monday that efforts to bring the parties back to the table are continuing, while Trump declared late Sunday that he no longer cares whether Iran returns to negotiations or not.
US blockade of Iranian ports begins
Photo: Associated Press
US Central Command has said it will begin blocking all Gulf ports and Iranian coastal areas on Monday at 16:00 PM Kosovo time, meaning the operation should have begun now.
As previously reported, seafarers and the United Kingdom Maritime Merchant Operations (UKMTO) have received notices warning that the blockade will apply to all vessel traffic, regardless of flag.
The UKMTO announcement states that transit passage through the strait to or from non-Iranian destinations should not be affected by these restrictions, but the UKMTO has warned that ships attempting to do so are likely to encounter a military presence.
Merzi says he didn't have high expectations for US-Iran talks
Photo: Associated Press
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he had low expectations for talks held over the weekend in Islamabad, Pakistan, between the US and Iran.
Speaking in Berlin on Monday morning, Merzi said he was not surprised by the decision to break off talks in Islamabad.
"From the beginning, I didn't get the impression that (the talks) were particularly well prepared," he said.
Merzi also spoke about how a diplomatic solution will not be a quick process and noted that the economic effects will still be felt for a long time.
"This will remain a long-term process and we will continue to feel the consequences of this war for a long time, even after it is over," he added.
Merzi also expressed reservations last week about the outcome of the talks, saying he thought peace was still a long way off.
21-hour talks between the US and Iran ended without a breakthrough on Saturday. While the US blamed Iran's unwillingness to give up its enrichment of uranium to the level of a nuclear weapon, Tehran said the US demands were too high.
US blockade of Hormuz - Ships violating it face "interception, diversion and capture"
The US military is set to begin enforcing a blockade in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, east of the Strait of Hormuz, and this will apply to all ship traffic regardless of flag, according to an order sent by US Central Command (Centcom) to sailors, and reported by the Reuters news agency.
Centcom has warned that ships "entering or exiting the blockaded area without authorization are subject to interception, diversion and seizure," the order said.
The blockade will begin at around 16:00 PM Kosovo time, the order confirms.
It also states: "The blockade will not impede neutral transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations."
Reuters also reports that the blockade includes "the entire Iranian coastline," "not limited to" Iranian ports and oil terminals.
It adds that humanitarian shipments, such as food and medical supplies, will be allowed, subject to inspection.
US President Donald Trump made the decision on Sunday to block the Strait of Hormuz, due to the failure to reach an agreement from US-Iran talks that were held in Pakistan for 21 hours on Saturday.
Von der Leyen: EU fuel bill has increased by 22 billion euros
Photo: Associated Press
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has spoken about the financial impact of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
She said the EU's bill for fossil fuel imports has increased by 22 billion euros (19.1 billion pounds) since the war began 44 days ago, without receiving "a single molecule" of more supply.
“We are paying a very high price for our over-reliance on fossil fuels,” she said.
Von der Leyen added that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is of "fundamental importance" and that "strong coordination" between EU states is needed.
Iran says no port in the region will be safe if its ports are threatened
Oil tanker passes through the Strait of Hormuz / 2018
Iran's military says no port in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman will remain safe if its ports are threatened, Iranian state broadcaster reported on Monday, citing a statement by Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari.
The threat comes as the US military says it will begin a blockade of all Iranian ports and coastal areas, after talks in Islamabad over the weekend failed to reach an agreement to end the war in the Middle East.
"Security in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is either for everyone or for no one," the Iranian military spokesman said. "No port in the region will be safe," he added.
France and Britain to hold conference on Strait of Hormuz
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that France and the United Kingdom will organize a conference "aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the strait" in the "coming days."
In a social media post, he said the conference would be organized with countries willing to contribute to a "multinational peacekeeping mission aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the strait."
"This strictly defensive mission, separate from the warring parties in the conflict, aims to be deployed as soon as circumstances allow," Macron said.
The announcement comes after US President Donald Trump's decision to block Iran's ports, starting Monday, due to the failure to reach an agreement to end the war in US-Iran talks.
Pope Leo responds to Trump on war in Iran
Photo: Associated Press
Pope Leo XIV said the Vatican's calls for peace and reconciliation are rooted in the Gospel and that he is not afraid of the Trump administration.
"To put my message on the same level as what the president has tried to do, I think, shows a misunderstanding of the message of the Gospel," the pope told the Associated Press. "I'm sorry to hear that, but I will continue with what I believe is the mission of the church in today's world."
The first US-born pope in history stressed that he was not making a direct attack on Trump or anyone else with his general call for peace and criticism of the "illusion of omnipotence" that is fueling wars in Iran and other conflicts around the world.
Trump's words about Pope Leo:
US blockade of Hormuz could push China to put pressure on Iran
Photo: EPA
The failure of talks over the weekend and US President Donald Trump's threat to block ships coming to and going from Iranian ports has had the expected impact on markets.
Oil prices have risen back above $100 a barrel and Asian stock markets have fallen.
But the broader theme is what appears to be an attempt to put more pressure on China.
Although China has large oil reserves and imports much of its oil from Russia, Iran provided 16% of China's crude oil imports. Most of the Iranian oil passing through the strait was destined for China. Blocking this could force China to put more pressure on Iran to reach a deal.
The strait, through which a fifth of the world's energy shipments pass, has become a flashpoint of conflict after Iran retaliated against US-Israeli attacks by threatening to attack ships trying to use the waterway.
Shipments have been largely halted since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran on February 28, leading to rising energy prices around the world and increasing costs for consumers, in particular by making gasoline and diesel more expensive.
However, Iran has continued to export oil.
Windward, the maritime intelligence firm, said that since March 1, more than 58 million barrels of oil have left Kharg Island, Iran's main outlet for crude oil exports. More than 90% of that, it said, was headed for China.
UN: Over 32 million people will be plunged into poverty as a result of war with Iran
Photo: Associated Press
More than 32 million people worldwide could be pushed into poverty as a result of the economic impacts of a war with Iran, with developing countries expected to be hit hardest.
In a report released amid doubts about a fragile ceasefire, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said the world is facing a "triple shock" involving energy, food and slowing economic growth.
The agency tasked with fighting poverty has said the conflict is reversing progress in international development, with impacts expected to be felt unevenly in different regions.
Alexander De Croo, UNDP administrator and former prime minister of Belgium, has said that “such a conflict is a development in the opposite direction. Even if the fighting stops, and a ceasefire is certainly very welcome, the impact is already present.”
"You will see a long-term impact, especially in the poorest countries, where people are pushed back into poverty. That is the most painful element. The people who are being pushed back into poverty are very often those who were once poor, came out of it, and now are being pushed back into it."
Energy prices have risen sharply in the six weeks since the first US-Israeli air strikes on Tehran, as Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted oil and gas supplies to the global economy. With a knock-on effect on fertilizer supplies and global shipping, experts warn that a "food security time bomb" has been set off for the developing world.
Even if a lasting peace in the Middle East can be maintained, the head of the International Monetary Fund has said that the "economic contagion effects" from the conflict have permanently damaged the global economy.
Releasing the report as world leaders gather in Washington for the IMF's spring meetings, the UNDP said a global response is needed to support the countries most affected by the economic fallout.
According to the report, targeted and temporary cash transfers are needed to protect the most vulnerable households in developing countries, at a cost of about $6 billion to neutralize the shocks for those falling below the poverty line.
Oil prices rise after Trump threatens to block Hormuz
Photo: Driton Pacharada
Oil prices rose again above $100 a barrel on Monday after US President Donald Trump ordered the closure of Iranian ports following the failure of peace talks.
Brent crude oil rose 7% to $102.30.
The cost of a barrel of oil had fallen well below $100 last Wednesday, after the US and Iran reached a conditional two-week ceasefire deal that included the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for global oil and gas supplies.
However, the failure of the negotiations has raised concerns that the global energy crisis will deepen.
The strait, through which a fifth of the world's energy shipments pass, has become a flashpoint of conflict after Iran retaliated against US-Israeli attacks by threatening to attack ships trying to use the waterway.
Shipments have been largely halted since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran on February 28, leading to rising energy prices around the world and increasing costs for consumers, in particular by making gasoline and diesel more expensive.
However, Iran has continued to export oil.
Windward, the maritime intelligence firm, said that since March 1, more than 58 million barrels of oil have left Kharg Island, Iran's main outlet for crude oil exports. More than 90% of that, it said, was headed for China.
Trump calls Pope Leo "weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy"
US President Donald Trump criticized Pope Leo late on Sunday, in an unusual and direct attack on the leader of the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church that immediately sparked a backlash from the faithful.
The president, in an apparent response to the Pope's growing criticism of the US-Israeli war on Iran and the Trump administration's tough immigration policies, said Leo was "terrible."
"Pope Leo is weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Leo, originally from Chicago, is the first American pope. Known for choosing his words carefully, he has emerged as an outspoken critic of the war in Iran in recent weeks and denounced the "madness of war" in a peace appeal on Saturday.
Last year, he questioned whether the Trump administration's tough immigration policies were consistent with the Church's pro-life teachings.
“Someone who says, 'I'm against abortion, but I agree with the inhumane treatment of immigrants in the United States,' I don't know if that's pro-life,” the Pope said in September.
Trump wrote in his tweet on Sunday that "Leo needs to reclaim himself as Pope," later telling reporters that he was "not a big fan" of the Pope.
🇺🇸🇻🇦 Trump had a lot more to say on Pope Leo.
—Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) April 13, 2026
"We don't like a Pope that's gonna say it's okay to have a nuclear weapon (for Iran)."
"I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo... very liberal person." https://t.co/1ACrVdwL7h pic.twitter.com/UTI7MfQ0kc
Britain refuses to join Trump's blockade of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz
Photo: Associated Press
The United Kingdom has confirmed that it will not join the naval blockade that US President Donald Trump intends to impose on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to official statements, London will not use warships or troops to enforce this blockade, distancing itself from the American strategy in this escalation of tensions with Iran.
Instead, the British government emphasizes that its priority remains maintaining freedom of navigation and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil supplies.
British officials have made it clear that joining a blockade could further increase international tensions, so they are working with allies like France to ensure safe passage for ships, without resorting to military action against Iran.
Trump: I don't care if Iran returns to negotiations
Photo: Associated Press
US President Donald Trump has said he doesn't care about Iran and will return to the negotiating table. talks.
Speaking to reporters outside Washington after returning from Florida, Donald Trump was asked how long it might be before Iranian officials returned to the negotiating table, amid a fragile ceasefire.
“I don’t care if they come back or not,” he replied. “If they don’t come back, that’s fine with me.”
Trump said that during weekend negotiations led by US Vice President JD Vance, Iran had said it was aiming to obtain a nuclear weapon.
"They still want it, and they made that clear that night. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon," he said.
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Oil prices rise after Trump threatens to block Hormuz
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Trump: I don't care if Iran returns to negotiations
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Britain refuses to join Trump's blockade of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz
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Trump says US military has blockaded Iranian ports to pressure Tehran
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US wants Iran to commit to stopping attacks on ships in Hormuz