US Military to Blockade All Iranian Ports Monday
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- US military announced a blockade of all Iranian ports will begin at 2 pm GMT on Monday, covering any ship leaving or seeking to dock at Iranian ports on either side of the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iranian military warned the blockade would be a criminal act of piracy and cautioned that no port in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea would be safe if its security is threatened.
- President Trump posted on social media his aim to clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines and reopen it to all shipping, insisting Iran must not profit from controlling the waterway.
- WTI and Brent crude futures each rose roughly eight percent on Monday, pushing both above $100 a barrel after the ceasefire and failed talks.
- China foreign‑ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun criticised the U.S. plan, emphasizing the Strait’s importance for global trade and urging both sides not to reignite the war.
- Spain’s Defence Minister Margarita Robles said the planned naval blockade “makes no sense,” while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared Britain will not join the U.S. action.
- Pakistan said it hopes to keep facilitating dialogue and urged both sides to honor the fragile two‑week ceasefire after the Islamabad talks collapsed.
Why it matters: The blockade threatens to choke a key oil‑shipping corridor, pushing crude prices above $100 a barrel and tightening global energy costs, while Iran’s piracy warning raises security concerns for all maritime traffic; allies such as Spain and the UK reject the move, limiting its diplomatic backing.
