U.S. military to implement a blockade of Iranian ports

U.S. Central Command on Sunday announced plans to blockade naval traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports, both on the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The blockade is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. ET on Monday, according to a statement from CENTCOM. Vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz will be allowed to travel unimpeded, provided they are not entering or leaving an Iranian port.

What’s the reason for the blockade? In statement earlier on Sunday, President Donald Trump threatened to blockade any and all ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international trade rate. He also said he’d instructed the U.S. Navy to seek out and intercept any international vessels that had paid tolls to Iran for traveling through the strait, though he didn’t specify what action should be taken against those vessels. In explaining his decision, Trump said that negotiations with Iran over the weekend had failed. Vice President J.D. Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Iranian representatives for close to 20 hours, but Iranian leaders refused to give up their nuclear ambitions, Trump said. The president reiterated that he would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon. Trump characterized other aspects of negotiations as going well, but said the nuclear issue was the only point that really mattered. He also accused Iranian leadership of extorting the rest of the world by claiming there may be a sea mine somewhere in the Strait of Hormuz but refusing to disclose its location. U.S. military forces on Saturday began the process of ensuring that any and all mines had been cleared from the strait, according to CENTCOM.

What is the Iranian government saying? Iran claimed to retain full control over the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports from Iranian state-controlled Press TV. The outlet cites Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf as saying that the U.S. naval blockade will only drive up fuel prices and American consumers will soon be nostalgic for per-gallon gas prices between $4 or $5.

Dig deeper: Listen to WORLD’s interview with Janaten Sayeh of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies about the cost of Iran’s ongoing defiance.