Trump says US will begin naval blockade of Strait of Hormuz after failed talks over Iran war The US president wrote the US Navy would begin 'blockading' the Strait of Hormuz on his Truth Social platform after peace neogtiations in Pakistan failed.
President Donald Trump on Sunday, April 12, ordered a US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in response to Iran's "unyielding" refusal to give up its nuclear ambitions during peace talks in Islamabad.
While acknowledging that the marathon talks in Pakistan had gone "well" and "most points were agreed to," Trump said Tehran had refused to concede on the issue of its nuclear program. "Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz," Trump said on his Truth Social platform. "Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!"
US and Iran fail to reach deal after marathon peace talks in Pakistan US Vice President JD Vance left Pakistan without a deal after weekend talks with a team led by Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf – the highest-level meeting between the two sides since the 1979 Islamic revolution. "We leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We'll see if the Iranians accept it," Vance told reporters.
Tehran's delegation also included Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
In two lengthy posts on Truth Social, Trump slammed Iran for promising to open the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which a fifth of the world's crude oil passes, and "knowingly" failing to deliver. "They say they put mines in the water, even though all of their Navy, and most of their 'mine droppers,' have been completely blown up. They may have done so, but what ship owner would want to take the chance?" Trump said.
More on that: Trump orders naval blockade of strait of Hormuz: D Davies
Thanks, had a look last night. Medhurst makes an interesting argument, and it doesn't surprise me that there is some intelligence & corporate manoeuvring behind the orange man's apparent flailing around. I would question whether the US is actually in fact self-sufficient in oil & gas, and/or capable of supplying the large amounts of LNG that Qatar and (currently) Australia aren't supplying. Last I heard US oil extraction peaked in the 70s and gas is only stumbling on after the large investments that went into the fracking boom and tar sands exploitation, neither of which have turned out to be particularly productive or profitable (correct me if I'm wrong). Also not mentioned is the win for Russia that occurred when sanctions were lifted on their oil, enabling them to sell at a very high price esp to India. The fact this was done rather indicates the US does depend on other suppliers in the oil & gas markets. Also Iran appeared to be gaining a far higher price for the oil & gas it allowed to be exported, though this might change if the US goes through with their secondary blockade. And then there's the problem of Venezuela's oil being extremely low grade, so while there may be lots of it, the marginal returns of exploitation are very low and vulnerable to any kind of political disruption...
Basically I'm skeptical about the narrative of the US being self-sufficient in oil & gas and not dependent on global supply chains in these and other key materials & manufactured goods. Medhurst didn't mention the awkward fact that if China's oil & gas supply is throttled that means they will be likely to axe their exports and thus the US and much of the West will completely lose access to the goods that are only produced in China nowadays. And the US is now ready to completely cut off Saudi & all the other sheikdoms despite over a century of investment & meddling in the region to ensure as much of the oil got out as possible? And provoking Iran into doing it for them? Hmmm...
It would seem to be a case of cutting your nose off to spite your face. So then we're back to the president being insane, or there being a scattering of rational actors in the corporate world that stand to profit but to the loss of nearly everyone else. We'll have to wait and see how it pans out, I guess.
DD Geopolitics @DD_Geopolitics 🇺🇸 Trump is sharing articles floating a US naval blockade of Iran, the "Venezuela playbook," after talks fail. Here's what that would actually look like.
The idea is the US Navy takes control of the Strait of Hormuz and Kharg Island strangling Iran's economy while cutting China and India off from their key oil source simultaneously.
The problem: Iran is not Venezuela.
🔸 The strait is only 33km wide at its narrowest point, every ship that enters is within range of Iran's entire coastal arsenal 🔸 Iran's Khalij Fars anti-ship ballistic missiles have a 300km range and are designed specifically to hit moving ships at sea 🔸 Noor and Qader cruise missiles, fired from mobile launchers hidden in coastal caves, cover the entire strait from the Iranian shoreline 🔸 Iran has an estimated 5,000-6,000 naval mines — including influence mines that sit on the seabed and are nearly impossible to detect 🔸 IRGC fast attack swarm boats are designed specifically to overwhelm US destroyers in confined waters, a classified DoD war game found the US lost 16 major warships including a carrier to Iranian swarm tactics 🔸 Iran controls three fortified island outposts (Larak, Qeshm and Abu Musa) sitting directly on the shipping lanes, each with underground bunkers and missile batteries
Iran doesn't even need to win a naval battle, FPRI experts note Iran is running an "insurance blockade," it only needs to strike occasionally to make insurance uneconomical for commercial shipping. That alone shuts the strait down.
Mine clearance in a contested environment takes a minimum of 4 weeks, and the US has decommissioned most of its dedicated minesweepers in CENTCOM. In 1991 it took 40 ships four months to clear Iraqi minefields in a permissive environment.
Meanwhile the USS Gerald R. Ford, cited in the article as leading the blockade, is currently in Split, Croatia being repaired after Iranian strikes. The USS George H.W. Bush is en route as replacement.
Trump may be out-blockaded before the blockade even starts.
🇮🇷🇷🇺 Press TV Exclusive: US destroyer transit in Strait of Hormuz aborted under Iranian pressure
A Press TV investigation says a U.S. Navy attempt to send two destroyers through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday ended in failure after Iranian forces intervened.
According to the report, the USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) and USS Frank E. Peterson (DDG-121) attempted a high-risk transit but were detected and intercepted by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval units.
The investigation says the ships used electronic warfare tactics and false identification to appear as commercial vessels from Oman, while navigating close to shore through shallow waters. Iranian forces identified the deception early and moved to block the passage.
Press TV says Iranian cruise missiles locked onto the vessels and drones were deployed overhead, with a warning giving the ships 30 minutes to withdraw or face attack. The U.S. ships then reversed course before entering the Persian Gulf.
The report frames the operation as a failed U.S. attempt to test Iran’s readiness during a ceasefire and influence talks in Islamabad, adding that the mission did not achieve its objectives and risked escalation.Tell your story; Ask a question; Interpret generously http://storybythethroat.wordpress.com/tell-ask-listen/
on April 12, 2026, 3:00 pm