- Senior Iranian leaders responded defiantly to Trump's announcement of a US Navy blockade of Hormuz
- IRGC said any military vessel near the waterway will be deemed a ceasefire violation and face severe action
- Iranian officials criticized the blockade and highlighted ongoing intense negotiations with the US
Senior Iranian leaders on Sunday struck a defiant tone after US President Donald Trump said the US Navy will blockade the Strait of Hormuz as negotiators failed to reach a peace deal in Pakistan. The US military said the blockade will begin Monday at 10 a.m. ET (7:30 p.m. India time) and apply only to ships going to and from Iran.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said any military vessel that approaches the narrow waterway will be considered in violation of the ceasefire and "will be dealt with severely", Al Jazeera reported. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that, with the "so-called blockade", Americans will soon be nostalgic for gasoline prices of $4 to $5 per gallon. Posting a map of gas prices at stations near the White House on X, he said, "Enjoy the current price of gasoline. With what is being called a ‘blockade,' you will soon miss $4 to $5 gasoline."
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the negotiations with the US as the most intensive engagement between the two countries in 47 years. He claimed Iran had participated in it "in good faith" with the aim of ending ongoing hostilities and discussions had progressed to the brink of a potential memorandum of understanding.
"But when just inches away from “Islamabad MoU”, we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade," Araghchi said referring to Trump's latest threats to block the Strait of Hormuz. “Zero lessons earned. Good will begets good will. Enmity begets enmity,” Araghchi added.
Oil prices soared past $100 a barrel again after Trump's move that further disrupts crude flows from the Persian Gulf region. Benchmark Brent crude surged over 8% to cross the $103 per barrel mark, while US crude and European natural gas prices also recorded sharp gains. West Texas Intermediate rose to $105.12.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global energy trade, has seen severely restricted activity since military tensions flared in late February with the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran. Connecting the Gulf to international markets, the passage typically handles a significant share of the world's oil shipments.
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