CAIRO (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that the American military had begun a blockade of Iranian ports as part of his effort to force Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz and accept a deal to end the war that has raged for more than six weeks.
Iran responded with threats on all ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, taking aim at U.S.-allied countries.
That set the stage for an extraordinary showdown that posed serious risks for the global economy and raised the specter that the ceasefire could collapse and the war could resume. Talks aimed at permanently ending the conflict — which began Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran — failed to reach an agreement this past weekend. There has been no word on whether negotiations will resume.
Trump says the blockade has begun
In Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump said the blockade started at 9 a.m. CDT.
“We can’t let a country blackmail or extort the world because that’s what they’re doing,” Trump said of Iran.
Speaking outside the Oval Office, Trump suggested the U.S. is still willing to engage with Iran.
“I can tell you that we’ve been called by the other side,” Trump said.
He added: “We’ve been called this morning by the right people, the appropriate people, and they want to work a deal.”
Trump did not say who called or what was discussed.
Minutes before the scheduled start of the blockade, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency issued a notice to mariners that said the restrictions included “the entirety of the Iranian coastline, including ports and energy infrastructure.”
It added that transit through the strait “to or from non-Iranian destinations is not reported to be impeded by these measures,” but added that ships “may encounter military presence” in the strait.
Iran’s effective closure of the strait, through which 20% of traded oil passes in peacetime, has sent oil prices skyrocketing, pushing up the cost of gasoline, food and other basic goods far beyond the Middle East. Tehran has allowed some ships perceived as friendly to pass while charging considerable fees, leading to accusations it is holding the global economy hostage.
Some analysts are doubtful that the U.S. can restore normal shipping through force alone — and it’s not clear how a blockade would work or what the dangers might be to U.S. forces.
The question is essentially who can endure the most pain: Could a blockade make Iran’s economic situation untenable and force it to concede? Or will it drive global oil and other prices so high that Trump is forced to back down?
Blockade could have far-reaching effects
The U.S. military’s Central Command announced that the blockade would be enforced “against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas.” It said that would include all of Iran’s ports on the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
CENTCOM’s decision to allow ships traveling between non-Iranian ports to transit the strait was a step down from Trump’s earlier threat to blockade the waterway.
