The United States has said it will blockade Iran's ports after Friday’s peace talks with Iran ended without a deal.
While President Donald Trump had claimed the Strait of Hormuz would be entirely blockaded, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) later said it would only apply to ships entering or exiting Iranian ports and coastline.
“The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman,” wrote CENTCOM.
“CENTCOM forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.”
The blockade will begin at 2 pm GMT on Monday (10 am EDT, 5:30 pm IRST, 12 am Tuesday AEST).
Trump claimed on Truth Social that other countries would assist with the blockade, though none have publicly said they will do so. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the blockade announcement was made “in a unilateral way”, and Australia had not been asked to participate.
Trump also threatened that international vessels paying tolls to Iran to transit the strait would be interdicted, which CENTCOM has not commented on.
Following Trump’s original post announcing a blockade, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said military vessels approaching the strait would be considered a violation of the countries’ two-week ceasefire. These ships will be “dealt with severely”, the IRGC said.
U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance, abandoned peace talks with Iran over the weekend, saying that Iran refused to agree it would never develop a nuclear weapon.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said that the countries had been close to a memorandum of understanding before the U.S. delegation began allegedly “shifting goalposts”.
Oil prices rose after the blockade announcement, with Brent crude trading 8.8% higher at $103.60 per barrel by 9:55 am AEST.
