Trump warns Iran attack ships will be 'eliminated' as U.S. military begins port blockade

How would a U.S. Armed forces block off of Iran's ports act?

How do you do a naval blockade? We asked a retired admiral

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‘Difficult and surreal’: This man says it’s hard to communicate with his family back in Iran

Family of Windsor man say he was killed in strike in Lebanon

The family of a man killed in Lebanon has been identified by his family as Mohamad Hassan Haidar, a married father of five.

His siblings told reporters today that he died last week near Tyre as the result of a drone attack.

Haidar moved to Canada with his family in his teens, and became a licensed mechanic, but he lived half the time in Lebanon with his wife and children, his brother, Hussein Haidar said. 

He described him as a hard-working citizen who owned a business, worked long hours and dreamed of retiring at the age of 40.

He was 38 when he died. 

The Canadian government has just confirmed the death of a Canadian in southern Lebanon.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand posted on social media, "On behalf of the Government of Canada, I extend my deepest condolences to his family and loved ones as well as to the broader community."

Anand added that Canada supports Lebanon in its efforts to restore its authority, including the disarming of Hezbollah. She also called on Israel to cease its attacks on Lebanon and for the two to reach an agreement to end the conflict.

Canada has previously said that Lebanon should be included in the current Israel-U.S. Ceasefire with Iran. 

Despite the U.S. Beginning its blockade of Iranian ports, stock markets in North America somewhat shrugged off the day's news and made gains.

The S&P 500 rose 1 per cent and pulled back within 1.3 per cent of its all-time high set early this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 301 points, or 0.6 per cent, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.2 per cent.

Oil markets hovered above $100 a barrel earlier in the day, before settling back down to $99.36.

Those moves were far more subdued than some of the big swings that have hit the market earlier in the war. 

"There seems to be some desensitization around these back and forth talks with negotiations on, negotiations off, especially in the midst ​of this ceasefire, which seems to be holding for the moment," Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at Janney Montgomery ⁠Scott in Philadelphia, told Reuters.

"Investors are fearful to ⁠be caught off sides, that if we have a resolution come together ‌quickly, that the market could rally significantly and they'd be left on the sidelines."

U.S. President Donald Trump says a military blockade of Iranian ports is underway, following his threats to block off the entire Strait of Hormuz yesterday. 

As all eyes have been on the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding ports, Israeli Defence Forces launched an operation to seize the border town of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon today.

A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile ruled out a ceasefire with Hezbollah. The U.S. And Israel have denied Iranian claims that Lebanon was part of the two-week ceasefire brokered with Iran.

"We will not discuss a ceasefire with Hezbollah, which continues to carry out indiscriminate attacks against Israel and our civilians," Israeli spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian told reporters today. 

Lebanese sources told Reuters Hezbollah fighters in Bint Jbeil are prepared to "fight to the death."

Israel says it's investigating reports that a strike on a Hezbollah target in Tyre hit a Red Cross site, while rockets and drones fired from Lebanon have hit northern Israel, injuring at least one person.

Israel has increasingly targeted Lebanese first responders and medical centres, forcing several hospitals to evacuate — which some have pointed out resembles its actions in Gaza.

The U.S. Is set to host rare talks between Israeli and Lebanese government envoys tomorrow.

Reuters

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke out today against Trump's attack on Pope Leo, joining other world leaders' defence of the religious leader.

"I find President Trump's words towards the Holy Father unacceptable. The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is right and normal for him to call for peace and to condemn every form of war," she said.

It was an extremely rare public rebuke from Meloni, who has cultivated particularly close ties with Trump, underscoring widespread anger in Italy over his broadside the Pope.

Meloni was the only European leader to attend Trump's inauguration in 2025 and she had hoped their friendship would boost her standing at home and abroad.

However, Trump risks becoming a liability, with 66 per cent of Italians having a negative view of the U.S. Leader. Pollsters say Meloni's ties to the White House might have been a factor in her defeat last month in a referendum on judicial reform.

How do you do a naval blockade? We asked a retired admiral

A naval blockade is an act of war, but U.S. Ships would not fire on ships attempting to run it, says Mark Norman, a retired Royal Canadian Navy vice-admiral and fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. The mission would be to intercept and interdict, order them to stop, possibly using warning shots. Boarding and seizing ships would involve dropping troops by helicopter. 'That gets pretty dicey,' Norman said.

german mark jessye norman, retired royal stag canadian river naval forces vice-admiral and fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, said the operation will likely involve U.S. Forces establishing patrol zones outside of the strait itself to intercept ships, using a combination of warships, aircraft and helicopters.

But he cautioned that physically stopping tankers presents major challenges. Boarding operations tactics can get "pretty dicey," he said, particularly if ships are linked to countries like China.

Norman also warned of the legal and geopolitical implications: "The act of a blockade itself … is an act of war," he said, noting there had been ambiguity around whether the U.S. Had engaged in war or not with Iran. 

"As soon as you blockade a country, that is, under international law, an overt act of war. Now, to board and seize a vessel of another flagged nation, that is right up against the line of a similar act of war," Norman said. 

He described the blockade as a high-stakes gamble to force Iran back to negotiations, calling it "the only significant remaining pressure point" — but also "a somewhat desperate act."

"I'm not convinced strategically that it's necessarily the best solution, but I think the U.S. Have painted themselves into a bit of a corner here," he said. 

While the U.S. Likely has the capability to carry out the operation, Norman said resources will be stretched. "It’s going to come at a cost."

Correction: A previous version of this post's headline incorrectly identified Mark Norman as a retired Canadian navy general. 

Speaking outside the White House a short while ago, Trump confirmed the blockade started at 10 a.m. ET. He said it's aimed at both forcing Iran back to negotiations and reopening global energy flows. 

"Maybe everything. I mean, both of those things, certainly. And more," he said when asked about the endgame, accusing Iran of trying to "blackmail the world."

Trump insisted the pressure campaign is working, claiming Iran's economy has effectively been cut off: "Iran is doing absolutely no business and we're going to keep it that way, very easily."

He also repeated his hardline stance on Iran's nuclear ambitions, but also suggested diplomatic outreach may already be underway.

"I think they will agree to it. I'm almost sure of it. In fact, I am sure of it. If they don't agree, there's no deal. There'll never be a deal," he said.

While the U.S. Does not rely on the strait for its own energy needs, Trump framed the blockade as a global necessity. 

"We have our own oil and gas much more than we need," he said, adding that other countries "have offered their services" and will "let it be known probably tomorrow." No other countries have confirmed or denied plans to participate.

He also hinted at further escalation if talks fail, warning that if no agreement is reached by the end of the ceasefire, "it won't be pleasant for them."

The U.S. Seeks to stop any vessel going to or from an Iranian port. They'll use a combination of open source intelligence and more covert methods to determine which ships those are.

They would start with the Automatic Identification System (AIS), which all commercial ships broadcast. It lists specific information, including their intended destination port. However, a ship's crew can change this destination entry manually, so some may seek to deceive the U.S. Navy about their true destination.

They can also switch this system off, as Russia's shadow fleet of oil tankers often does, but that is particularly risky in a crowded waterway, and would also be a red flag.

The U.S. Will certainly employ long-range patrol aircraft, which have the ability to detect ships leaving an Iranian port from hundreds of kilometres away, and direct U.S. Warships to intercept it. Satellite imagery will be useful in the same way.

And ships with a known history of servicing Iranian ports will likely be most suspect as they approach the region. 

Finally is the most covert option: U.S. Nuclear submarines. They can track a slow-moving oil or gas tanker over huge distances. They cannot board a vessel, but could direct other forces to do so.

The Associated Press

The current truce between the U.S. And Iran appears to be holding, with no word on whether negotiations will resume before it expires on April 22.

Pakistan's foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, said his country will try to facilitate a new round of dialogue between Iran and the U.S. In the coming days. There was no immediate reaction from either side.

A key obstacle seems to be a perception on both sides that they won the war and that each has time on its side.

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