{"id":124256,"date":"2026-04-14T11:34:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T06:34:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/?p=124256"},"modified":"2026-04-14T11:34:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T06:34:23","slug":"us-blockade-of-hormuz-puts-ceasefire-to-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/124256\/","title":{"rendered":"US blockade of Hormuz puts ceasefire to test"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON\/DUBAI(National Times)- Despite a\u00a0ceasefire\u00a0<\/a>and\u00a0peace talks\u00a0<\/a>in Islamabad, the conflict between the US and Iran continued to escalate on Monday, as the American military blockaded all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports in a move that could push the region towards a fresh round of hostilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The US military\u2019s regional Central Command said the blockade would be \u201cenforced impartially against vessels<\/p>\n\n\n\n

of all nations\u201d entering or leaving Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. \u201cThe blockade will not impede neutral transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations,\u201d Central Command said in a note to seafarers seen by Reuters<\/em> on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This blockade prompted a warning from Iran, which said it would consider any military vessels in the Hormuz a violation of the ceasefire and such a move would put all regional ports in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, US President Donald Trump claimed Iran\u2019s navy had been \u201ccomplet\u00adely obliterated\u201d during the war, adding that only a small number of \u201cfast-attack ships\u201d remained with the Iranian navy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWarning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea. It is quick and brutal,\u201d President Trump wrote on social media, referring to the US strikes carried out against suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He later confirmed a blockade had been in effect. \u201cRight now, there\u2019s no fighting. Right now we have a blockade,\u201d he said, adding Iran was doing \u201cabsolutely no business\u201d. \u201cAnd we\u2019re going to keep it that way very easily,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The US president said the deal with Iran could not be reached because they had hit a roadblock related to nuclear issues. He said Iran wanted to make a deal and that he would not come to any agreement that would allow Tehran to have a nuclear weapon, adding that Iran had \u201ccalled this morning\u201d and that \u201cthey\u2019d like to work a deal\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only endorsement for the blockade came from Israel, whose prime minister said that he supported the naval blockade, opposed by almost every country, including the Nato allies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Replying to a question about whether other countries will participate in the blockade, President Trump replied in the affirmative, adding that the countries would be revealed tomorrow. \u201cThey\u2019ve offered their services,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Nato allies, including Britain and France, said they would not get involved in US President Donald Trump\u2019s plan to blockade Iranian ports, proposing to intervene only once fighting ends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

France will also organise a conference with Britain and other countries to create a multinational mission to restore navigation in the strait, French President Emmanuel Macron said on X on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis strictly defensive mission, distinct from the belligerents, will be deployed as soon as the situation allows,\u201d President Macron said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, the Turkish foreign minister raised concerns on Monday about Iran or the United States proposing any new regulations for transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and said he saw difficulties around proposals to reopen the waterway with an international force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Akin to piracy\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, Iran said a military intervention in the Strait of Hormuz would escalate the instability in global energy security, warning no port in the Gulf would be safe in such a scenario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to an Iranian military spokesperson, the US restrictions on international shipping were akin to \u201cpiracy\u201d, warning that if Iranian ports were threatened, no port in the Gulf would be secure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any military vessels approaching the strait would violate the ceasefire, Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Al Jazeera<\/em>, the IRGC said that it would \u201cunveil\u201d new capabilities if the war continued. \u201cWe will unveil warfare methods that the enemy will have little ability to counter,\u201d a spokesperson for IRGC quoted by the semi-official Tasnim<\/em> news agency said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Separately, Brigadier General Reza Talaei-Nik, a spokesperson for Iran\u2019s ministry of defence, warned that efforts by foreign military to police the strait would escalate the crisis and instability in global energy security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Iranian state broadcaster Press TV,<\/em> the spokesperson said Tehran was responsible for managing the key waterway \u201cbased on clear and logical principles\u201d, adding that interference or aggression by US or other forces would not be allowed. He added Iran had \u201cno hesitation in delivering a decisive and regrettable response to any aggressor\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the war started on February 28<\/a>, Iran has effectively shut the strait to all vessels except its own, saying passage would be permitted only under Iranian control and subject to a fee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, the head of the International Maritime Organisation, Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez, said no country could \u201cprohibit the right of innocent passage or the freedom of navigation through international straits that are used for international transit\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Fragile ceasefire\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday the current ceasefire between the US and Iran is \u201cvery fragile\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ceasefire that halted six weeks of US and Israeli air strikes looked in jeopardy, with only a week left to run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Wang urged the global community to \u201cunequivocally oppose any actions that undermine the ceasefire or escalate the confrontation\u201d. He made the remarks during a phone call with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, the Chinese ministry said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The priority is to prevent the resumption of hostilities and \u201cto preserve the hard-won momentum of ceasefire\u201d, he added. China would be pleased to see Pakistan playing a greater role in helping resolve the conflict, Wang said, adding that Beijing too stands ready to make its contributions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, ASEAN foreign ministers agreed to urge the United States and Iran to \u201ccontinue negotiations that will lead to the permanent end of the conflict\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON\/DUBAI(National Times)- Despite a\u00a0ceasefire\u00a0and\u00a0peace talks\u00a0in Islamabad, the conflict between the US and Iran continued to escalate on Monday, as the American military blockaded all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports in a move that could push the region towards a fresh round of hostilities. The US military\u2019s regional Central Command said the blockade would […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":124257,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-124256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\nUS blockade of Hormuz puts ceasefire to test - Nation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/124256\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"US blockade of Hormuz puts ceasefire to test - Nation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"WASHINGTON\/DUBAI(National Times)- Despite a\u00a0ceasefire\u00a0and\u00a0peace talks\u00a0in Islamabad, the conflict between the US and Iran continued to escalate on Monday, as the American military blockaded all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports in a move that could push the region towards a fresh round of hostilities. 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