The United States military has formally commenced a comprehensive naval blockade of all Iranian ports and coastal regions, a move that has immediately sent global energy markets into a tailspin and placed a fragile ceasefire on the brink of collapse.
As of 10am ET, the US Navy began enforcing the blockade, causing international oil prices to surge well above $100 per barrel overnight, reports CBS News.
The escalation follows the failure of high-level peace negotiations in Islamabad between Washington and Tehran over the weekend.
US President Donald Trump, who announced the measure via social media, stated that the US Navy would interdict any vessels attempting to enter or exit the Strait of Hormuz to facilitate Iranian trade.
While Trump claimed the current ceasefire is “holding well,” he maintained a dismissive stance regarding future diplomacy, stating he did not care whether Iran returned to the negotiating table.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it is enforcing the blockade across the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, east of the Strait of Hormuz. According to military officials, the operation applies to all vessels regardless of the flag they fly.
CENTCOM warned that any vessel entering or departing the blockaded area without express authorisation would be subject to interception, diversion, and capture.
However, the US military clarified that the blockade is not intended to impede neutral transit through the Strait of Hormuz for ships travelling between non-Iranian destinations.
Iranian defiance and the threat of regional instability
Tehran has reacted with fury, with the Iranian armed forces condemning the blockade as an “illegal act” and “piracy.”
Military officials in Iran asserted that the region’s ports would be “either for everyone or for no one,” warning that if their maritime security is threatened, no port in the Gulf region will remain safe.
In a further act of defiance, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) released a revised navigation map for the Strait of Hormuz, directing ships toward a new route closer to the Iranian coast to avoid anti-ship mines it has deployed in the primary traffic zones.
The blockade has drawn a sharp rebuke from the United Kingdom, one of Washington’s closest allies.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told BBC 5 Live that the UK would not support the blockade, focusing instead on diplomatic and political efforts to ensure the Strait remains fully open to stabilise global energy prices.
While President Trump suggested that NATO allies like the UK would assist in clearing Iranian mines, Starmer explicitly stated that Britain would not become involved in such “operational matters.”
China has also urged for calm, with Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun stating that maintaining a stable and unimpeded waterway serves the interests of the entire international community.
Conversely, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced his country’s support for the naval measure.
Japan remains undecided on whether to deploy its Self-Defence Forces for minesweeping operations, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara urging both sides to reach a comprehensive understanding to secure navigation.
Legal controversy and the rising human cost
Legal experts have raised concerns regarding the legitimacy of the US actions. Jason Chuah, a professor of maritime law at City St George’s, University of London, suggested the move is not a traditional blockade but rather “sanctions with warships doing the bidding of President Trump.”
He noted that as the US is not a party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, its legal authority to stop foreign ships on the high seas without United Nations Security Council backing is highly questionable.
Professor Chuah warned that the interdictions would quickly impact neutral shipping from nations such as India, China, and Turkiye, leading to increased insurance premiums and a fragmented global tanker market.
The human cost of the conflict, which began with US-Israeli strikes on 28 February, continues to mount. Iran’s forensic chief reports that over 3,000 people have been killed in the country, while more than 2,000 have died in Lebanon.
Casualties have also been recorded in the Gulf states and Israel, alongside 13 US service members killed in combat.
Amidst the violence, a public feud has erupted between the White House and the Vatican. Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, vowed to continue his criticism of the war despite President Trump assailing him as “weak” and “terrible.”
