On April 13, 2026, at 10:27, following failed talks in Pakistan, the United States will impose a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz. Both Washington and Tehran are blaming each other for the situation. Neither side has commented on the fate of the ceasefire set to expire on April 22.
It is at 4 p.m. on Monday, April 14, that the new American strategy will take effect. Washington states that all ships will be prohibited from entering or leaving Iranian ports. The United States has positioned two ships on either side of the strait to block passage.
This decision by Donald Trump comes after failed negotiations over the weekend in Islamabad, where talks were progressing until the issue of nuclear weapons, which Iran refuses to concede on. Trump stated, “Iran will not have nuclear weapons. There is no chance they will get them, but they still want them and made it clear the other night.”
The objective is to deprive Tehran of its leverage in negotiations, namely passage rights that generate up to $2 million per boat. “By imposing this blockade against Iran, Donald Trump is really hitting at the heart of the system. 90% of Iranian oil passes through here,” said Adel Bakawan, director of the European Institute for Middle East Studies.
Following Trump’s announcement, Iran has made it clear that any blockade would violate the ceasefire agreement, with the regime threatening a return to conflict.
