Trump says US will blockade the Strait of Hormuz after peace talks with Iran fail
Donald Trump has declared the US will blockade the Strait of Hormuz after the collapse of peace talks with Iran.
The president resumed his bombastic threats just hours after negotiations in Islamabad failed, warning that the US military was “locked and loaded to finish Iran”.
Delegations from Washington and Tehran – including vice-president JD Vance and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi – had been locked in crucial negotiations that insiders said were marred by mood swings and tense exchanges.
But Mr Vance announced the talks, which aimed to bring an end to six weeks of costly warfare and to find a solution to Iran’s closure of the shipping lane, had failed after just 21 hours.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned that any US warships approaching the Strait to carry out a blockade will be considered in breach of the ceasefire and be dealt with “strongly”, prompting fears that the conflict could reignite just days after a two-week ceasefire was agreed.
Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social: “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.”
He later told Fox News that Nato allies, whom he has criticised for failing to back the war, wanted to help with the operation in the Strait. “We have minesweepers there,” Mr Trump said. “And I understand the UK and a couple of other countries are sending minesweepers.”
But it is thought Britain will not be involved in the operation. Earlier, former defence secretary Ben Wallace told The Independent that sending British warships to police the Strait of Hormuz is “a fantasy” because UK armed forces are already so depleted.
In his Truth Social rant, the president said that “any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!”
He added: “Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION. They want money and, more importantly, they want Nuclear. Additionally and, at an appropriate moment, we are fully ‘LOCKED AND LOADED’, and our Military will finish up the little that is left of Iran!”
Addressing Saturday’s failed talks, the president said the meeting had gone “well” but that no agreement could be found on the “most important issue”, Iran’s nuclear programme.
Iran also said the talks had seen some progress but had failed due to “two important issues”, namely the management of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards responded to Mr Trump’s latest barrage by stating “all traffic… is under the full control of the armed forces”.
In an interview with The New York Times, an Iranian analyst close to the government said the talks had crumbled due to US demands for zero enrichment and the removal of nearly 900lb of stockpiled uranium, as well as the Hormuz issue. While the talks were ongoing, Iranian state media had accused the US of making “excessive demands”.
