U.S. orders Hormuz blockade

President Donald Trump ordered the United States Navy to blockade the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, hours after talks with Iran in Islamabad ended without a deal. (apnews.com) Vice President JD Vance said the negotiations lasted 21 hours and ended with “no deal,” after he said Washington had made a “final and best offer” to Tehran. Iranian officials said major differences remained on several core issues. (nbcnews.com) (nytimes.com) Trump said the blockade was “effective immediately” and said United States forces would stop ships from entering or leaving the waterway. Al Jazeera reported that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard answered that civilian traffic remained open but warned military vessels would face a “strong response.” (nbcnews.com) (aljazeera.com) The strait is the narrow sea lane between Iran and Oman that links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. The United States Energy Information Administration said 20 million barrels of oil a day moved through it in 2024, equal to about 20 percent of global petroleum liquids consumption. (eia.gov) That volume is why the waterway keeps pulling in outside powers. The Energy Information Administration said there are few practical alternatives if Hormuz closes, so even short disruptions can delay supply and raise shipping costs and oil prices. (eia.gov) The Islamabad talks had become the last visible channel for slowing the crisis after weeks of fighting and a fragile ceasefire tied to shipping access. A separate New York Times report said both delegations had left Pakistan by Sunday, leaving Pakistan to manage the fallout on its own borders and economy. (nytimes.com 1) (nytimes.com 2) Oman kept pushing for diplomacy even after the talks failed. Britain said Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with Sultan Haitham bin Tarik al Said on April 12 and that both leaders urged all sides to keep the ceasefire going and avoid further escalation. (gov.uk) Iranian officials blamed Washington for the collapse. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker and top negotiator, said the United States had failed to win Tehran’s trust, while foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said one meeting in wartime was never likely to produce an agreement. (aljazeera.com) (nbcnews.com) Washington says the dispute is not only about shipping. NBC News reported that Vance said the United States still wants a commitment that Iran will not seek a nuclear weapon, and that commitment had not been secured in Islamabad. (nbcnews.com) The immediate question is whether the blockade stays a pressure tactic or turns into direct confrontation at sea. For now, the last obvious negotiating track has broken down, and the world’s busiest oil chokepoint is back at the center of the war. (apnews.com) (eia.gov)