The United States will begin blockading ships in the Strait of Hormuz starting tomorrow, the White House announced, following the breakdown of face-to-face negotiations with Iran over the weekend.
The Pentagon stated that the blockade will specifically target vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.
Vice President J.D. Vance, who led the U.S. delegation during the 21 hours of talks, said the negotiations ended without an agreement after Iran refused to provide an affirmative commitment to refrain from developing a nuclear weapon or acquiring the tools to rapidly achieve one.
“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement, and I think that’s bad news for Iran, much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America,” Vance said.
He added: “The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon. That is the core goal of the President of the United States.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry acknowledged that gaps remain between the two sides on several issues, including the Strait of Hormuz. Iran had sought to impose a toll on vessels passing through the waterway.
In a phone interview on Fox News on Sunday, President Trump described the impending blockade as “complete” and “all or none,” aimed at preventing Iran from selectively profiting from oil sales.
“We’re not going to let Iran make money on selling oil to people that they like, and not people that they don’t like or whatever it is,” Trump said. “It’s going to be all or none. And that’s the way it is, and it will be. You saw what we did with Venezuela. It will be something very similar to that.”
The move comes roughly six weeks after the conflict with Iran began and has already contributed to rising gas prices in the United States. Concerns are growing that the blockade could push prices even higher.
A recent CBS News poll found that 68% of Americans surveyed are worried about the conflict with Iran, while 39% approve of President Trump’s handling of his job overall.
The announcement marks a significant escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran after the weekend talks failed to produce a deal.
