US President Donald Trump has ordered a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, dramatically escalating tensions with Iran after high-stakes talks in Islamabad failed to secure agreement on Tehran’s nuclear programme. Despite describing the marathon negotiations as broadly successful, Trump said Iran’s refusal to abandon its nuclear ambitions left Washington with no choice but to act.
In a fiery statement on his Truth Social platform, he announced that the United States Navy would immediately begin blocking all vessels attempting to enter or leave the critical shipping route, while warning of overwhelming retaliation against any hostile action.
US Vice President JD Vance departed Pakistan without a deal after weekend discussions with a senior Iranian delegation led by parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, alongside Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The meeting marked the highest-level contact between the two sides since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Vance said the US had put forward what he described as a final proposal, leaving the next move squarely with Tehran. Meanwhile, Trump accused Iran of reneging on assurances to keep the Strait open, claiming the regime had even threatened to mine the waterway, a move that would deter global shipping.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global energy supplies through which roughly a fifth of the world’s crude oil passes, has already faced weeks of disruption following a sustained US and Israeli bombing campaign against Iran. In a sign of mounting military activity, the US confirmed that two of its warships had recently passed through the strait to begin mine-clearing operations, underscoring the growing risk of a wider confrontation in one of the world’s most strategically sensitive regions.