Trump orders Hormuz blockade

President Donald Trump said on April 12 that the United States Navy would begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz after United States-Iran talks in Islamabad ended without a deal. (usnews.com) Trump said the Navy would stop ships entering or leaving the strait and would “seek and interdict” vessels in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran. He said other countries would join the operation, but he did not name them. (cnbc.com) The announcement followed 21 hours of face-to-face talks in Pakistan led by Vice President JD Vance for the United States. Associated Press reported that both delegations left Islamabad without an agreement and without setting the next diplomatic step. (usnews.com) Trump had escalated before the talks collapsed. On April 6, he said Iran could be “taken out in one night” if Tehran did not meet his deadline to reopen the waterway. (usatoday.com) Iran answered with its own warnings. Al Jazeera’s live coverage on April 12 said Iranian officials blamed Washington for the failure of the talks and warned that any attempt by military vessels to pass through the strait would draw a “strong response.” (aljazeera.com) The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow sea passage between Iran and Oman that links the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. The United States Energy Information Administration said 20 million barrels a day moved through it in 2024, equal to about 20 percent of global petroleum liquids consumption. (eia.gov) That traffic is hard to reroute. The Energy Information Administration said few practical alternatives exist if the strait is shut, and the International Energy Agency says around 25 percent of world seaborne oil trade and about 20 percent of global liquefied natural gas trade pass through it. (eia.gov) (iea.org) The geography makes any blockade or counter-blockade legally and militarily fraught. Britannica says the shipping lanes run mostly through Omani territorial waters and are governed by international maritime law, even though Iran sits on the strait’s northern side. (britannica.com) Trump said on Fox News, according to Al Jazeera’s live updates, that the United Kingdom and other countries were sending minesweepers while United States Central Command was “setting conditions for clearing mines.” That points to a campaign aimed not only at Iranian forces but also at reopening commercial traffic under naval escort. (aljazeera.com) For now, the immediate facts are these: the ceasefire talks failed, the 14-day ceasefire still runs until April 22, and Trump has moved from threats about Iran to a declared naval blockade at the world’s busiest oil chokepoint. (usnews.com)