President Trump on Sunday announced that the U.S. military will begin blockading ships seeking to enter the Strait of Hormuz after weekend peace talks with Iran did not bring about a deal
President Trump on Sunday announced that the U.S
President Trump on Sunday announced that the U.S. military will begin blockading ships seeking to enter the Strait of Hormuz after weekend peace talks with Iran did not bring about a deal.
“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote in a Sunday morning Truth Social post, adding that he instructed the Navy to “seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran.”
The president said the blockade would begin “shortly,” while underscoring recent U.S. military operations seeking to remove mines laid by Tehran in the Strait.
Vice President Vance announced on Saturday evening that the U.S. and Iran failed to come to an agreement, as the two sides gathered in Islamabad, Pakistan, to discuss the ceasefire. Trump, on Sunday, said the talks ultimately came down to Tehran’s nuclear capabilities.
In many ways, the points that were agreed to are better than us continuing our
“In many ways, the points that were agreed to are better than us continuing our Military Operations to conclusion, but all of those points don’t matter compared to allowing Nuclear Power to be in the hands of such volatile, difficult, unpredictable people,” Trump wrote.
The Strait of Hormuz, a key trading corridor where about a fifth of the world’s oil flows through, has been effectively closed since the onset of the conflict in late February. In recent weeks, Iran has charged ships seeking to pass through the waterway, as soaring gas and oil prices have rippled across the global economy.
Trump indicated that “other” countries would participate in the forthcoming blockade, without offering specifics. The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
Pressure has continued to build on U.S. allies, particularly NATO countries, over their resistance to help the U.S. reopen the Strait amid the conflict. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Trump at the White House last week amid the row.
Still, the future of the two week ceasefire in Iran remains unclear, with the failure
Still, the future of the two-week ceasefire in Iran remains unclear, with the failure of peace negotiations in Pakistan this weekend.
In his Sunday morning social media posts, the president said that Iran was ultimately “unwilling” to negotiate on its nuclear ambitions, adding that Vance as well as special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who also attended the negotiations, had briefed him on the matter.
“So, there you have it, the meeting went well, most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not,” he said Sunday.
