U.S. Central Command announced that American forces will begin enforcing a blockade of maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports on Monday, April 13 at 10 a.m. ET. The CENTCOM statement said the measure will apply to vessels entering or leaving all Iranian ports along the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. Command officials emphasized the blockade will be enforced impartially against ships of any nationality that call at Iranian ports, while saying U.S. forces will not obstruct freedom of navigation for vessels simply transiting the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian ports.
Commercial mariners were told they will receive additional guidance before the blockade takes effect and were advised to monitor advisory broadcasts and contact U.S. naval forces when operating in the Gulf of Oman and approaches to the Strait of Hormuz.
The announcement follows a rapid escalation in rhetoric and diplomatic efforts this week. Iran’s joint military command at Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned that if the security of Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is threatened, Tehran will act to deny safety to those facilities and could bar passage through the Strait of Hormuz to vessels linked to what it called “enemy states.” The spokesperson said Iran plans to set up a lasting mechanism to control the Strait of Hormuz, citing what it described as “continued threats.”
Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said talks in Islamabad aimed at reaching a memorandum of understanding with the United States nearly produced an agreement but collapsed at the last moment. Araghchi accused the U.S. side of “maximalism” and shifting demands, saying Iran had engaged in the negotiations in good faith to try to end the war and that the process ultimately failed.
On social media, President Donald Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV for urging an end to the U.S. military offensive in Iran, calling the pontiff weak and saying he did not want a pope who was permissive toward Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon. The Pope had publicly decried the conflict and called on world leaders to seek a peace settlement.
The blockade order and Tehran’s vow to bolster control of the Strait of Hormuz deepen tensions in a region that is critical for global shipping and energy flows. U.S. officials say freedom of navigation will be maintained for ships not calling at Iranian ports, but the move is likely to complicate commercial operations and heighten the risk of further confrontations at sea. A vessel was photographed in the Strait of Hormuz off Oman’s Musandam province earlier this month, underscoring the strategic chokepoint at the center of the developments.