Donald Trump announced that the US would begin blocking all ships attempting to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the US military was fully "LOCKED AND LOADED" and would finish up the little that is left of Iran. Trump’s announcement comes just hours after diplomatic discussions between the US and Iran ended without a resolution.
Trump issues strong warning
In his post, Trump stated, "At some point, we will reach an ‘ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT’ basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen." He described the Strait of Hormuz as a critical shipping lane, through which about 20% of global oil passes, making its security a key issue for international trade.
He also revealed that the US Navy had been instructed to seek out and intercept any vessels that have paid a toll to Iran, labeling such payments as “illegal.” Trump warned, "No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas."
Trump vows military retaliation
He further said that the US military is "fully locked and loaded." He made it clear that any aggressive action by Iran against U.S. forces or peaceful vessels would be met with "severe military retaliation." In his words, "Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be blown to hell."
Additionally, Trump indicated that the US would take measures to destroy mines planted by Iran in international waters.
Failed negotiations
The announcement of the blockade came just hours after US and Iranian diplomats failed to reach an agreement in marathon talks that lasted over 20 hours. US Vice President JD Vance, who was involved in the negotiations, confirmed that despite constant communication with President Trump and key US officials, the talks collapsed.
Vance told reporters, “We were talking to the President consistently. I don't know how many times we talked six times, twelve times over the past 21 hours." He added that the core issue of Iran's nuclear program remained unresolved, with the Trump administration’s demands for Iran to halt uranium enrichment and commit to not pursuing nuclear weapons being the key point of contention.
Iran blames US for breakdown in talks
In response to the breakdown of negotiations, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf took to X (formerly Twitter), accusing the US of failing to honor the principles of good faith and trust. Ghalibaf stated that while Iran had entered the talks with "necessary good faith," the U.S. failed to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation.
"Iran presented constructive initiatives," Ghalibaf said. "However, the U.S. was unable to gain our trust in this round of negotiations." He further challenged the U.S., saying, "America has understood our logic and principles, and now it's time for it to decide whether it can earn our trust or not."