U.S. begins Iran ports blockade
The U.S. military said it would start a blockade of maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports on Monday, formalising and escalating disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has threatened retaliation after weekend talks failed, and commercial traffic through the waterway had already been heavily disrupted for more than a month; oil jumped with U.S. crude at about $104.24 and Brent near $102.29 after the announcement. (reuters.com) (nytimes.com) (cbsnews.com)
The United States began blockading ships going to and from Iranian ports on Monday, widening a month of disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz. (nytimes.com) (cbsnews.com) United States Central Command said the blockade started at 10 a.m. Eastern time on April 13 and would apply to vessels of all nations entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas. President Donald Trump announced the move on April 12 after talks with Iran in Pakistan ended without an agreement. (cbsnews.com) (aol.com) The New York Times reported that United States forces would not stop ships simply transiting the Strait of Hormuz if they were not calling at Iranian ports. CBS News described that as a partial blockade of the strait, with traffic linked to Iran now the target. (nytimes.com) (cbsnews.com) That distinction matters because the waterway carries about 20 million barrels a day of crude oil and oil products, according to the International Energy Agency’s 2025 average. At its narrowest point, the strait is 29 nautical miles wide, with two-mile shipping lanes in each direction. (iea.org) Oil prices jumped after the announcement. Reuters reported United States crude at about $104.24 a barrel and Brent at about $102.29 on April 12. (aol.com) The blockade formalizes disruptions that had already been building since the war and the failed ceasefire diplomacy. Reuters said commercial traffic through Hormuz had been heavily disrupted for more than a month before Washington turned that pressure into declared policy. (aol.com) Vice President JD Vance said after the Pakistan talks that “we have not reached an agreement,” and Trump then said the Navy would move to interdict shipping. Iranian officials responded by threatening retaliation, while Iranian military figures called the blockade “piracy” in public statements carried by international outlets. (cbsnews.com) (apnews.com) (thehindu.com) For shipping companies, the immediate question is whether a vessel can still use Hormuz without touching Iran. For oil markets, the question is whether a blockade aimed at Iranian ports stays limited there or pulls more of the world’s busiest energy chokepoint into the conflict. (nytimes.com) (iea.org)
