The American army announces that it will block Iranian ports

The American military announced that it would impose a blockade on all Iranian ports starting Monday, tempering President Donald Trump’s earlier promise to completely block the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, as initial reports indicated that ships had stopped crossing the waterway.

This decision comes after marathon negotiations between the United States and Iran in Pakistan failed to reach an agreement, setting the stage for a confrontation. Iranian leaders have vowed to retaliate against the blockade.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that the blockade would apply to all Iranian ports starting Monday at 10 a.m. EDT (5:30 p.m. in Iran), and would be “applied impartially to ships from all countries.” CENTCOM clarified that it would still allow ships traveling between non-Iranian ports to transit through the strait, a relaxation from the previous threat to block the entire strait.

The announcement of the blockade halted the limited maritime traffic that had resumed in the strait since the ceasefire, according to an initial report from Lloyd’s List Intelligence. Maritime monitoring services indicate that over 40 commercial vessels had crossed the strait since the ceasefire began, compared to about 100-135 passages per day before the war.

Later on Sunday, Donald Trump continued his feud with Pope León XIV over the war, launching a harsh attack on him in a post on Truth Social, calling the Catholic Church leader “terrible in foreign policy.” This furious attack came after León denounced the war and called for political leaders to end it and negotiate peace.

This blockade likely aims to increase pressure on Iran, which has exported millions of barrels of oil since the war began, with much likely transported through so-called “clandestine” transits that evade sanctions and Western government surveillance.

Donald Trump also hopes to weaken Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz after demanding the reopening of the waterway through which 20% of the world’s oil used to pass before the conflict started. An American blockade could further disrupt global energy markets.

Oil prices rose at the start of trading after the blockade announcement. The price of American crude oil climbed 8% to $104.24 per barrel, while Brent, the international benchmark, increased by 7% to $102.29 per barrel. Brent was around $70 per barrel before the war started at the end of February.

Samy Magdy, The Associated Press