U.S. forces to start blockade of Iran's ports on Monday at 10 a.m. ET

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Trump says he'll launch naval blockade on Strait of Hormuz after Iran talks break down

U.S. President Donald Trump announced the United States would immediately start blockading the Strait of Hormuz — a move that significantly threatens a precarious two-week ceasefire intended to end the Middle East conflict. 

The decision comes less than a day after the U.S. And Iran failed to come to reach a peace deal. 

"Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz," the president wrote in a Truth Social post published Sunday morning.

"I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas," Trump added. "Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!"

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) says it will begin the blockade at 10 a.m. ET Monday, stopping "all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports" and coastal areas.

CENTCOM said in a post on X that its forces will not block vessels that are transiting through the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.

A formal notice will be given to commercial mariners with more information prior to the start of the blockade, according to the post.

Trump's blockade threat takes aim at countries with ships that have been allowed by Iran to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning of the war. That’s a long and growing list. 

India, China and Pakistan have been granted continued passage through the strait, as Iran has vowed to block the U.S., Israel and their allies. 

Government officials and local media have reported that ships from Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Iraq, Russia, Turkey and the Philippines are also being granted passage. 

Earlier this month, a ship from France that was flagged for Malta passed through the strait, marking the first vessel tied to a Western European country. 

Iran's top negotiator Mohammad ⁠Baqer ‌Qalibaf said in comments carried by state media that Trump's new threats will have no effect on the Iranian nation. 

"If ⁠you fight, we ⁠will fight, ⁠and ⁠if ​you come forward with logic, ​we ⁠will deal with logic," he said. 

Qalibaf also said Iran had initiatives to show goodwill in talks with the U.S., which led to progress in the negotiations. 

Also speaking on Fox News, Trump said the United Kingdom would be sending minesweepers to the Strait of Hormuz. 

Britain's Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to a message from The Associated Press seeking comment.

In an April 2 meeting of top diplomats from 40 nations, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper discussed mustering their collective powers to remove mines from the strait once the conflict diminished.

Cooper convened a meeting with about 30 of those nations last week to discuss restoring free movement in the shipping channel and a follow-up is scheduled this week.

In March, James Cartlidge, the opposition Conservative Party's defense secretary, said the British navy removed its last minesweeper from the Persian Gulf a week before the war began.

U.S. President Donald Trump is acknowledging that high gas prices could persist for months, and may not ease before the November midterm elections.

"It could be the same, or maybe a little bit higher, but it should be around the same," he told Fox News.

The comments mark a shift in tone after weeks of downplaying the spike in fuel costs.

Trump's approval rating has hit the lowest levels of his second term in office, raising concern among Republicans that his party is poised to lose control of Congress in the midterm elections.

A Democratic majority in either chamber could launch investigations into the Trump administration while blocking much of his legislative agenda.

The Associated Press

What comes next after failed negotiations between the U.S. And Iran?

Chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton speaks with Jamil Jaffer, former associate White House counsel to George W. Bush, about the failed negotiations between the U.S. And Iran and what could happen next in the war. And, Ahmad Araji, a Canadian in Lebanon, talks about his situation in the country. Plus, Kurt Volker, a former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, joins to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments criticizing NATO’s response to the war in Iran and the risk to the alliance.

iranian language chair ahmad shah masoud Pezeshkian told Russian chairperson Vladimir vladimir putin on Sunday that his country is prepared to reach a deal that would ensure "lasting regional peace."

Pezeshkian said Iran's national interests are a red line, according to a readout of the call carried by Iranian state media.

He criticized the U.S.'s use of bases in Gulf countries to carry out strikes against Iran, while maintaining that Gulf countries are "brothers" and that Tehran is willing to co-operate with them to achieve regional security "without outside powers."

Iran said it repeatedly struck U.S. Facilities in neighbouring Gulf countries since the war started in late February. Gulf countries say Iran has also targeted civilian infrastructure and facilities.

Inside the U.S.-Iran ceasefire that everybody interprets differently | About That

The U.S. And Iran reached a fragile ceasefire agreement hours after President Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Iran's 'whole civilization.' Andrew Chang explains what's complicating the deal, breaking down the confusion around its terms and the hurdles remaining as U.S.-Israel negotiations with Iran continue. Images provided by The canadian river press out, Reuters, adobe brick buy in and Getty Images

persia’s Revolutionary Guard Corps warned on Sunday that any military ships approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be viewed as violating the two-week ceasefire and would be dealt with "harshly and decisively."

In a statement carried by Iranian state media, the IRGC said the strait remains under the "smart management" and control of Iran's navy and that the waterway remains open for non-military vessels, but that military ones would get a "forceful response."

In the same breath expressing his disappointment in NATO allies, Trump told Fox that "now they want to come and now they want to help with the Strait [of Hormuz]."

"And it won't take long to clean it out. So we're going to clean out the strait, and they'll be able to use the strait in not too long."

Across Dubai, a city of glittering skyscrapers, the geometric U.A.E. Flag now hangs from buildings and at regular intervals along thorough fares, with giant screens flashing messages like "We Love Dubai."

It follows a recent call from Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, for citizens and residents to raise the national flag after the recent crisis.

The campaign reflects real pride after weeks in which the U.A.E. Says its air defences engaged 537 ballistic missiles, 26 cruise missiles and 2,256 drones launched from Iran since the attacks began — the lion's share of projectiles launched by Iran at Gulf states. 

But the display also carries more than a whiff of urgency.

For all the patriotic imagery, the city has also shown quieter signs of strain. Some expatriates have left, schools have switched to online, restaurants that normally hum late into the night are empty, and roads renowned for stalled traffic have been unusually clear.

That emptiness undercuts the official image of confidence.

Dubai's economic model depends on persuading foreigners to stay, spend and keep believing in its promise of stability — and, above all, safety. Some 90 per cent of the U.A.E.'s population are non-citizens, with no path to citizenship.

After strikes and falling debris shook that image, the sea of flags feels like both a genuine expression of resilience and an insistent reassurance campaign aimed at expatriates: this place is still safe, still functioning, still open for business.

Let's assume that Trump does not intend to stop all vessels travelling in both directions through the Strait of Hormuz. Doing so would choke the oil and gas exports of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq and Iran. That would prompt global oil prices to jump significantly.

Instead, he's most likely seeking to stop Iran's exports.

In normal times, about 150 vessels pass through the strait every day. Their destination is listed on the ship's automatic identification system, visible to other ships — including the U.S. Navy. 

Ships travelling towards Iran may just lie about their destination — or try to run through the gauntlet of warships. So do the Americans board them? The navy certainly has that capability but it involves a large number of resources. Do they have enough assets in the region now to police the entire strait? Would they require NATO or Gulf nations to send their navies? (And if they were asked, would those nations do so?)

But any nation sending warships to the region risks missile attacks from Iran's coastline. Those missiles travel at such speed over such a narrow strait, there would only be seconds to respond with countermeasures.

So the U.S. Navy may seek to "stand off" from the strait and conduct its policing of ships further up the Gulf of Oman or Arabian Sea. While wider waterways are safer, they are much harder to interdict the hundreds of ships there. If the U.S. Were to open fire on an oil tanker, the fire or wreckage alone may block the strait. 

In short, this is a very complicated and risky mission.

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