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US President Donald Trump the US Navy will "immediately" begin a blockade to stop ships from entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, after US-Iran peace talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement. Iran has demanded the right to collect tolls from vessels traveling through the strait, but Trump said no one who pays them will "have safe passage on the high seas."
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Navy said that military vessels approaching the Strait of Hormuz “will be met with a firm and forceful response,” according to two semi-official Iranian news agencies.
Earlier, the United States and Iran ended 21 hours of face-to-face talks in Islamabad without reaching a deal, leaving the fate of the fragile, two-week ceasefire still unclear. The war that has killed thousands of people and shaken global markets has entered its seventh week.
Here's all the latest news you need to know on the US-Israel-Iran conflict.
Lloyd’s List Intelligence said that "all traffic" through the Strait of Hormuz stopped after the US President Donald Trump announced that the US would blockade the waterway. It said two vessels that were leaving the strait turned around.
A trickle of traffic had returned to the strait in the days since the US and Iran agreed to pause the conflict.
(Source: AP)
In a latest development surrounding the Iran war, the United States Central Command has announced it will enforce a maritime blockade on all vessels entering or exiting Iranian ports, in what can be seen as a latest escalation in the region. This also follows weeks of standoff over the Strait of Hormuz that continues to rattle global energy markets.
US President Donald Trump criticised Pope Leo XIV after the Head of Catholic Church urged political leaders stop the war and negotiate for peace.
Israel's prime minister was making his first visit since the start of the current round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. "One of the things we see here is that we have essentially changed the face of the Middle East,” Netanyahu said. "Our enemies — Iran and the Axis of Evil — they came to destroy us, and now they are simply fighting for their own survival."
Nawaf Salam made his remarks on the eve of the 51st anniversary of the start of Lebanon's 15-year civil war. Lebanon and Israel will hold direct talks in Washington starting Tuesday in a bid to end Israel's conflict with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon.
The government has set a truce as a prerequisite for talks, and plans to demand an Israeli withdrawal, the release of Lebanese prisoners, and the return of over one million displaced Lebanese.
Global energy markets jolted higher after the US announced a blockade targeting vessels linked to Iran through the Strait of Hormuz, following the collapse of diplomatic talks over the weekend. 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.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that Iran has shown it doesn't surrender to threats, hours after Trump said the US would impose a blockade to stop ships from entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz. "If you fight, we will fight." Ghalibaf said in a social media post addressing Trump.
In another post he wrote, "In intensive talks at highest level in 47 years, Iran engaged with U.S in good faith to end war. But when just inches away from "Islamabad MoU", we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade. Zero lessons earned. Good will begets good will. Enmity begets enmity."
In intensive talks at highest level in 47 years, Iran engaged with U.S in good faith to end war.
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) April 12, 2026
But when just inches away from "Islamabad MoU", we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade.
Zero lessons earned
Good will begets good will.
Enmity begets enmity.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Navy said that military vessels approaching the Strait of Hormuz "will be met with a firm and forceful response," according to two semi-official Iranian news agencies.
(Source: AP)
US Central Command has announced that it will begin a blockade of Iranian ports on Monday. CENTCOM said the blockade would be "enforced impartially against vessels of all nations" entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas. It said it would still allow ships travelling between non-Iranian ports to transit the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic in the Strait has been limited even in the days since the ceasefire. Marine trackers say over 40 commercial ships have crossed since the start of the ceasefire.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 12, 2026
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