U.S. naval blockade begins

The United States began enforcing a naval blockade on Monday against ships entering or leaving Iranian ports, widening its pressure campaign beyond the Strait of Hormuz. (centcom.mil) United States Central Command said the blockade started at 10 a.m. Eastern Time on April 13 and applies to “all maritime traffic” using Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. It said ships bound for non-Iranian ports can still transit the Strait of Hormuz. (centcom.mil) The move followed failed talks in Islamabad over the weekend, the first direct United States-Iran talks in more than a decade and the highest-level contacts since Iran’s 1979 revolution, according to Reuters. Reuters also reported that a ceasefire that began on April 8 was meant to hold until April 22. (usnews.com) President Donald Trump said on Sunday that United States forces would also intercept vessels in international waters if they had paid what he called an Iranian toll, and said the Navy would begin destroying mines Iran had dropped in the strait. Reuters reported that warning as tankers started steering clear of the waterway ahead of the blockade. (usnews.com) A naval blockade is a military order that tries to cut off a country’s trade by stopping ships from entering or leaving its ports. In this case, Washington is targeting Iranian port traffic while saying it will keep open passage for ships using other Gulf ports. (centcom.mil) (aljazeera.com) That distinction matters because the Strait of Hormuz carries about one-fifth of global energy supplies, and even a partial disruption can push up fuel costs far beyond the Gulf. Reuters reported benchmark crude rose more than 7% to above $100 a barrel in Asian trading after the announcement. (usnews.com) CNBC reported European energy prices approached $150 a barrel equivalent as traders priced in the risk of longer disruption, while United States stock futures fell and the dollar strengthened. The administration also warned China could face a 50% tariff if it supplies Iran with military aid. (cnbc.com) Iran called the blockade illegal and warned that no Gulf port would be safe if traffic to and from Iranian ports is stopped, according to CBS News. Al Jazeera reported Iran’s military said any approaching military vessels would be treated as a breach of the ceasefire. (cbsnews.com) (aljazeera.com) The blockade puts the next test on a ceasefire that was supposed to buy two weeks for diplomacy. For now, the United States says commercial mariners should monitor official notices and contact naval forces on channel 16 as enforcement begins. (usnews.com) (centcom.mil)