U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following the collapse of peace talks with Iran, marking a sharp escalation in tensions in the region.
In a series of social media posts and an interview with Fox News, Trump said negotiations held in Islamabad had progressed on several points but ultimately failed to produce a breakthrough. He accused Tehran of refusing to abandon its nuclear ambitions and of failing to reopen the strategic waterway, a key condition tied to the current two-week ceasefire.
“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 wrote on Truth Social, warning that any hostile action by Iranian forces would be met with overwhelming military force.
Trump initially suggested that “other countries” would be involved in the blockade effort and told a Fox News show on Sunday morning that Britain “and a couple of other countries” would be sending minesweepers. In the interview, he said the negotiations at the end were “very friendly” but that Iran refused to give up their “nuclear ambitions.” Whether that referred to nuclear weapons—against which Iran has had an official fatwa since 2005—or the enrichment of uranium was not clarified.
Trump also issued a warning to China, threatening to impose a massive 50% tariff on its goods entering the United States if it decides to help Tehran militarily.
