Donald Trump on Sunday said the U.S. Navy would immediately begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz, sharply escalating tensions after talks with Iran failed to produce a deal to end the ongoing war, putting a fragile two-week ceasefire at risk.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the U.S. would also target vessels that had paid tolls to Iran and begin clearing sea mines allegedly placed in the strait, a key global oil route that handles nearly 20% of the world’s energy supply.
“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 said.
“I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas,” Trump added.
“Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!” he added.
Talks Collapse as U.S. and Iran Trade Blame
Both sides blamed each other for the failure of negotiations aimed at ending six weeks of conflict that has killed thousands and shaken the global economy, pushing oil prices higher.
JD Vance, who led the U.S. delegation, said the breakdown in talks was a bigger setback for Iran.
“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.
“We’ve made very clear what our red lines are,” he added.
Iran Points to Trust Deficit, Rejects U.S. Demands
On the Iranian side, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who led the delegation along with Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, accused Washington of failing to build trust despite Tehran offering proposals.
“The U.S. has understood Iran’s logic and principles and it’s time for them to decide whether they can earn our trust or not,” Qalibaf said on X.
The talks marked the first direct meeting between the U.S. and Iran in over a decade and the highest-level engagement since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Trump later doubled down on his stance, saying Iran had refused to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
“I could go into great detail, and talk about much that has been gotten but, there is only one thing that matters — IRAN IS UNWILLING TO GIVE UP ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS!” he said.
Regional Tensions Continue Despite Ceasefire Efforts
Iranian media, including Tasnim News Agency, said “excessive” U.S. demands blocked progress, though some areas of agreement had been reached. However, the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme remained the biggest sticking points.
Meanwhile, Ishaq Dar stressed the need to maintain calm.
“It was ‘imperative’ to preserve the ceasefire,” he said, referring to the truce agreed earlier in the week after fighting that began on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Israeli minister Zeev Elkin warned that diplomacy was still possible but tensions remained high.
“The Iranians are playing with fire,” he said.
Even as talks were underway, Israel continued strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, saying that front was separate from the Iran-U.S. ceasefire. Iran, however, insists the Lebanon conflict must also end.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
