The United States military has begun a blockade targeting ships leaving Iranian ports, President Donald Trump said on Monday, as tensions with Iran escalated sharply following failed diplomatic talks and renewed threats of retaliation in the Gulf region.
Trump said Iran had recently reached out seeking a deal, but insisted Washington would not accept any agreement that allows Tehran to develop or maintain nuclear weapons. “Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” he told reporters at the White House, adding that the US would not allow what he described as nuclear “blackmail or extortion.”
The escalation comes after weekend negotiations in Islamabad failed to produce a breakthrough to end the ongoing conflict, which has now entered its sixth week. A US official said discussions with Iran were still ongoing, describing them as “forward-moving,” while Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis were continuing.
Oil markets reacted sharply, with benchmark crude prices climbing back above US$100 per barrel amid fears of prolonged disruption to global energy supplies. Traders cited uncertainty over access to the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route for global oil flows.
The US military’s Central Command said the blockade would be enforced against vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports in the Gulf and Gulf of Oman, while still allowing neutral transit through the Strait of Hormuz to non-Iranian destinations.
Iran, however, has warned that any foreign military involvement in policing the waterway would worsen instability. A spokesperson for Iran’s defence ministry described the move as “piracy,” while threatening retaliation against regional ports if Iranian facilities were targeted.
Tehran has already restricted maritime movement through the strait, allowing passage only under Iranian control and subject to fees, further heightening tensions in one of the world’s most vital shipping lanes.
NATO allies, including Britain and France, have rejected participation in the blockade, instead calling for the eventual reopening of the waterway once hostilities end and conditions stabilise.
The conflict has also raised wider regional security concerns, with continued Israeli military activity in Lebanon and warnings from humanitarian agencies over escalating civilian risks.
Iranian officials have demanded recognition of its authority over the strait, the lifting of sanctions, and the withdrawal of US forces from the region as part of any potential settlement, while Washington maintains its position against Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
With ceasefire arrangements appearing increasingly fragile, analysts warn that prolonged disruption to energy flows could have far-reaching global economic consequences.
