United States imposes naval blockade on Iranian shipping ports

Following the collapse of peace talks in Islamabad over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a naval blockade on all ships entering or leaving Iranian ports. The U.S. Central Command stated the operation commenced at 10 a.m. ET (1400 GMT) on Monday, targeting vessels connected to Iranian ports in the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. While the U.S. stated that transit for non-Iranian vessels remains unrestricted, any unauthorized ship associated with Iran faces interception, diversion, or capture. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have issued a formal warning, declaring that the approach of U.S. military vessels to the strait constitutes a ceasefire violation and vowed a decisive response. The blockade threatens to restrict approximately 1.7 to 1.84 million barrels of crude oil per day, which Iran has been exporting through April 2025. Former U.S. Admiral Gary Roughead noted the potential for regional escalation, including Iranian strikes against Gulf infrastructure or shipping. As of mid-April, over 180 million barrels of Iranian oil were identified as being in transit or floating storage.