U.S. military to begin blockade of Iranian ports on Monday

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces will begin enforcing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports on Monday morning, formalizing President Trump’s earlier threat to stop ships from reaching Iran by sea. The blockade is set to begin at 10 a.m. ET.

CENTCOM said on Sunday the blockade would apply to vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. It said U.S. forces would not interfere with freedom of navigation for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.

The announcement came hours after Trump said on social media that the U.S. Navy would begin “the process of BLOCKADING” ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz. He also said the U.S. would seek to interdict vessels in international waters that had paid what he described as a toll to Iran.

In its statement, CENTCOM framed the action more narrowly, saying the blockade would target maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports rather than all ships moving through the strait.

“All mariners are advised to monitor Notice to Mariners broadcasts and contact U.S. naval forces on bridge-to-bridge channel 16 when operating in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz approaches,” CENTCOM said.

Trump said earlier that talks had gone well on most issues but that the nuclear issue had not been resolved. He accused Iran of extortion over the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, said U.S. forces would begin destroying mines laid by Iran in the waterway, and threatened overwhelming military action if Iranian forces fired on U.S. troops or commercial vessels.