U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. Navy will begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz “immediately” after peace talks between the U.S. and Iran in Pakistan ended without an agreement.
the U.S. leader, in a social media post on Sunday, accused Iran of “extortion” and said the U.S. Navy would also hunt down and interdict ships in international waters that have paid Iran a toll to traverse the strait.
“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 said.
He added that U.S. forces will also begin clearing mines that he says Iran placed in the strait.
The U.S. leader also said U.S. warships would “seek and interdict every vessel” that had paid Iran since the start of the conflict.
When Trump announced plans for the blockade on Truth Social, he said that other countries will be involved, but it’s not clear which countries he was referring to.
Iran has essentially taken control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for the global energy market, since the U.S. and Israel launched a war on Iran on February 28. Traffic through the narrow strait has slowed to a trickle, nearly paralysing about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments and sending shock waves through the global economy.
