Kashmir Impulse Desk

New Delhi, April 12

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he had ordered the US Navy to begin a blockade targeting vessels linked to Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, hours after talks with Tehran collapsed over its nuclear programme.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said US forces would seek to interdict ships in international waters that had paid what he described as illegal tolls to Iran.

“No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas,” he said, adding that other countries could join the effort in the strategic waterway, through which roughly a fifth of global oil supply passes.

Trump also warned of potential military escalation, saying US forces were “locked and loaded” if needed.

He said he had been briefed on the talks by Vice President J D Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner. 

According to Trump, discussions with Iranian officials in Islamabad had made progress on several issues but failed on the nuclear question.

“The meeting went well, most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, nuclear, was not,” he said.

Trump also acknowledged the role of Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in hosting the talks.

He said US negotiators engaged with Iranian representatives including Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Abbas Araghchi and Ali Bagheri, but described Tehran’s stance on nuclear weapons as inflexible.

“Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

The escalation follows weeks of conflict involving the United States and Israel and has raised concerns over disruptions to global energy markets. 

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint between the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, is vital for oil and gas shipments, and any restrictions could push energy prices higher.

Casualties from the conflict have mounted across the region, with thousands reported killed in Iran and Lebanon, alongside smaller numbers in Israel and Gulf states, according to figures cited in the report.