US announces maritime blockade of Iranian ports after failed Islamabad peace talks

Mangalore Today News Network

US, Apr 13, 2026: Peace talks held in Islamabad failed to produce a consensus on ending the ongoing US-Iran conflict, prompting the United States to announce a sweeping maritime blockade around Iranian ports.

The US military said the blockade will begin at 10 am ET (7:30 pm IST) and will apply to all vessels entering or exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, including those along the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The move, according to US Central Command, will be “enforced impartially” on ships of all nations.

However, vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports will not be affected. Authorities said additional guidance will be issued to commercial shipping through formal notices ahead of the blockade.

A key issue during the negotiations was the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global energy corridor.

US President Donald Trump also warned that American forces would intercept any vessel in international waters that had paid tolls to Iran. “No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas,” he said in a social media post, adding a stern warning against any Iranian aggression toward US forces or civilian ships.

Trump further stated that the US Navy would begin clearing mines allegedly placed by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20% of the world’s energy supply passes.

Shipping data indicated that while three fully loaded supertankers crossed the strait on Saturday, many vessels began avoiding the route on Monday in anticipation of the blockade.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that any military vessel approaching the strait would be treated as a violation of ceasefire conditions and would face a strong response, raising fears of further escalation.

A US official said Iran had rejected Washington’s demands to halt all uranium enrichment, dismantle key nuclear facilities, and transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi accused the US of adopting a maximalist stance, shifting demands, and imposing a blockade just as both sides were close to finalizing an “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.”