Updated: April 12, 2026 / 9:41 PM EDT
President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the U.S. Navy will begin blockading vessels attempting to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz and will intercept ships that have paid fees to Iran, following unsuccessful talks in Pakistan intended to end the conflict.
In a post on Truth Social, Mr. Trump said the Navy would “begin the process of blockading any and all ships” transiting the strait and ordered forces to interdict vessels that had paid tolls to Iran. He also said U.S. forces would remove mines Iran laid in the waterway and warned that any Iranian force firing on U.S. or civilian vessels would face severe retaliation.
Maritime analysts at Lloyd’s List Intelligence have reported that at least two ships recently transiting the strait paid what were described as safe-passage fees to Iran in Chinese yuan. The analysts say Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has established a de facto “toll booth” system in the waterway, requiring documentation, clearance codes and IRGC-escorted transit through a single corridor. Tehran has previously suggested it might try to formalize tolls on ships in the strait as part of a long-term settlement.
Mr. Trump had urged Iran not to impose such fees. His blockade declaration came after face-to-face talks in Islamabad led by Vice President J.D. Vance concluded without a resolution to the nuclear dispute. The White House said the talks “went well” but ultimately failed to secure an agreement; Vance told reporters Iran “chose not to accept our terms.” The two sides had previously agreed to a two-week ceasefire five days earlier.
The president indicated the blockade would begin soon and suggested other countries might join, though he did not name them. He later told Fox News that the U.K. and several other nations were sending mine-sweeping vessels. A source familiar with the matter told CBS News that the United Kingdom would not participate in a blockade of the strait.
A U.K. government spokesperson said Britain “continues to support freedom of navigation and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz,” stressing that the strait must not be subject to tolling. The spokesperson said the U.K. is “urgently working with France and other partners to put together a wide coalition to protect freedom of navigation.”
A senior NATO military official told CBS News that the U.K. is leading planning for a coalition of more than 40 nations, many NATO members, to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ensure freedom of navigation. The official said discussions are underway on options and timing, including pre-positioning assets.
The situation leaves major questions about implementation, allied participation, and the potential for escalation in a strategically vital chokepoint through which a significant share of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass. More developments are likely as governments and military planners respond to the U.S. announcement.
Margaret Brennan contributed to this report.