Updated ,first published
Washington: US President Donald Trump says the US Navy will blockade the Strait of Hormuz following failed peace talks with Iran, and warned that any Iranians who try to stop it will be “blown to hell”.
He said the peace talks in Islamabad over the weekend had gone “well” but failed to reach an agreement on the key matter of Iran’s nuclear program.
“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,” Trump announced on Truth Social.
“At some point, we will reach an ‘ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT’ basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen by merely saying, ‘There may be a mine out there somewhere’, that nobody knows about but them.
“THIS IS WORLD EXTORTION, and Leaders of Countries, especially the United States of America, will never be extorted.”
The US president said he had instructed the Navy to interdict every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran, and to destroy any mines laid by Iran in the strait.
“Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!” he said. “The Blockade will begin shortly. Other Countries will be involved with this Blockade. Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION. They want money and, more importantly, they want Nuclear.”
A naval blockade is generally considered an act of war. While Trump did not indicate that the US was planning to resume strikes against Iran, he warned that the military was “LOCKED AND LOADED” and stood ready to “finish up the little that is left of Iran”.
Earlier, negotiating teams ended 21 hours of talks in the Pakistani capital without a deal to bring a permanent end to the war between the US, Israel and Iran, which began on February 28.
A fragile ceasefire began last week except in Lebanon, where Israel continues to strike targets associated with Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy.
US Vice President JD Vance, who led the US delegation in Islamabad, said the failure to reach an agreement was “bad news”, especially for Iran.
“The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” he said.
While the talks were taking place, US Central Command said two US Navy destroyers were transiting the strait to ensure it was free of mines previously laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Traffic through the crucial sea passage came to a halt during the war amid the possible presence of mines and Iranian drone attacks. A fifth of the world’s oil ordinarily moves through the strait, and its defacto closure has contributed to skyrocketing oil prices internationally.
More to come
Michael Koziol is the North America correspondent for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, Sun-Herald deputy editor and a federal political reporter in Canberra.Connect via X or email.