Trump says US will blockade the strait of Hormuz immediately
By: Yohannes Lowe (now); Hayden Vernon and Imogen Dewey (earlier) (the Guardian)
GENIUS
President Trump is closing the Strait of Hormuz because Iran failed to open the Strait of Hormuz? You can't make this stuff up.
Just so everyone knows, Iran has been opening the Strait for designated countries. There has been a quiet move to reflag vessels to comply with Iran's preferred list for toll-free passage. Iraq could see a small windfall from vessel registration. Pakistan currently has a backlog for registering vessels. And China has its own rather large captive fleet. One Liberian and two Chinese registered VLCCs were allowed through the Strait yesterday. And those vessels were laden with Saudi, UAE, and Iraqi oil. Some reporting indicates Iran is planning for 15 to 20 transits a day; about a third of typical pre-war traffic.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Sunday, April 12, 2026, 07:47 EDT
Summary of the day so far
Here's a round-up of the key events from the Middle East so far today:
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The US failed to gain trust of the Iranian delegation in Pakistan peace talks, Iran's parliamentary speaker said. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said he stressed before the talks yesterday that Iran had no "trust in the opposing side" after "the experiences of the two previous wars".
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Iran's foreign ministry downplayed the stalling of negotiations on Sunday. "Naturally, from the beginning we should not have expected to reach an agreement in a single session. No one had such an expectation," ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said, according to state broadcaster IRIB.
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Strait of Hormuz "completely" under Iranian control, deputy parliament speaker said. The Iranian deputy parliament speaker, Haji Babaei, has been quoted by the Mehr news agency as having said that the strait of Hormuz is "completely" under Iranian control, adding that tolls must be paid in the country's currency, rials.
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Saudi Arabia says east-west pipeline, energy facilities restored to "operational capacity" after attacks. "Energy facilities and the east-west pipeline damaged by attacks have recovered and regained their operational capacity, enhancing the reliability of supplies," the official Saudi Press Agency reported, citing an energy ministry statement.
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In a call this morning, the UK's prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the Sultan of Oman agreed that all sides should avoid "any further escalation" in the US-Israel war on Iran. A Downing Street spokesperson said: "They discussed the peace talks held in Pakistan over the weekend and urged both sides to find a way through. It was vital there was a continuation of the ceasefire, and that all parties avoided any further escalation, the leaders agreed."
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Javad Zarif, a former Iranian foreign minister, said in a post on X this morning that the Pakistan talks failed because Iran is not going to accept terms dictated to it by the US. He said: "No negotiations - at least with Iran - will succeed based on "our/your terms." The US must learn: you can't dictate terms to Iran. It's not too late to learn. Yet."
Trump says US to start blockading the strait of Hormuz immediately
The US president, Donald Trump, said the US Navy would immediately start blockading the strait of Hormuz and would also interdict every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran.
In a lengthy Truth Social post, he said the US is going to start “BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz”.
Trump said that the US Navy is going to start “ destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the straits”, warning that any Iranian who fires at the US or at “peaceful vessels will be blown to hell”.
“No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas,” he said, adding that the blockade – which will involve so far unspecified other countries – will “begin shortly”.
“Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION. They want money and, more importantly, they want Nuclear,” Trump wrote.
In another Truth Social post, Trump also claimed that Iran has “knowingly failed” to make good on its promise to open the strait, causing “anxiety” and “pain” for many countries around the world. He went on to warn that Tehran “better begin the process” of opening the vital waterway and to do it quickly, saying the regime has “violated” every “law in the book”.
Trump said he has been debriefed by his vice president, JD Vance, his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law/advisor Jared Kushner on the Pakistan talks that failed to produce a breakthrough to bring an end to the war.
He said Saturday’s meeting in Islamabad lasted close to 20 hours. “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! In many ways, the points that were agreed to are better than us continuing our Military Operations to conclusion, but all of those points don’t matter compared to allowing Nuclear Power to be in the hands of such volatile, difficult, unpredictable people,” Trump wrote.
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I doubt the US Navy intercepting Pakistan or Chinese registered cargo ships will go over very well. Every move President Trump makes seems to place the US in a new untenable position.
I'm enjoying this.
So, the only card that Iran thought they could play has been taken by Trump.
You are enjoying the fact the guy you trusted to control inflation is actively increasing costs for everyday Americans on an escalating schedule with no end in sight? Trump supporters are the most gullible fools on the planet.
watching the left lash out because their favorite Islamist regime that’s killed thousands of Americans is having its power destroyed is something.
Better Americans be killed than progrssives pay a dollar to stop it.
Your sudden concern with inflation is duly noted.
Lol. Stupidest reply ever. Great job!
The template 'rebuttal' by Trump supporters is, IMO, to cast every criticism as hypocrisy. And that includes making up positions for interlocutors to engage a strawman for claiming hypocrisy.
Why is President Trump playing Iran's only card? At least the Chinese flagged Rich Starry passed through the US blockade. But the Rich Starry was reportedly laden with methanol. Seems China is testing Trump's resolve.
(Iran has been allowing passage of flagged vessels registered in Iraq, Pakistan, India, China, and Russia. Iran is also allowing passage on a case-by-case basis for registered vessels of Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. These vessels have not been restricted to carrying Iranian oil. And not all vessels have been charged a toll.)
He is a cornered animal. A stupid one. And we are stuck with him as he continues to damage the USA (and, to a degree, the planet).
Oh ya, you got him again!
Trump has entered the USA into an unnecessary war (Trump's war of choice). He has created, stupidly, a major problem with the Strait of Hormuz which affects the global economy. And this is after his idiotic tariffs damaged the USA's reputation (for decades probably) and imposed a consumption tax on US consumers. In result, prices did not go down as he promised in his campaign and his incompetence with Iran has created a surge in oil prices which will trigger inflation yet again.
And our national debt continues to soar.
All of this is the direct opposite of what he promised.
What, exactly, is he doing that causes you to still support this lunatic? Your memes and deflections indicate that you have no good reason to support him. That you recognize he is a net disaster. Yet you still support him.
I guess owning all US "libs" and doing things, no matter how stupid, his way, instead of a thoroughly thought out way that might actually accomplish something, besides keeping the TrumpMaxEpstein files from dominating the news here, is an acomplishmeant for a maga mega miscreant gone wild like an upset four year old child.
Cause irregardless of what Trump does or says in blatant outright open, it is always defended and apparently, what his fooled base was a hopin.
I want some of what their smokin....
He triggers the libs. And he says things a lot of people want to but don't dare for fear of the consequences
That line of tankers rerouting to the US is going to stretch across the ocean.
poor China. They’ve spent years getting below market price oil from Iran by helping them evade sanctions. No longer.
That should please America's oil producers to no end. @!@
What does that even mean?
Why would President Trump punish our Arab and Asian allies just to get Iran? Iran only produces enough oil to supply a little more than 20% of China's needs so the 'blame China' deflection won't gain much traction. Almost 80% of China's Persian Gulf oil demand is supplied by the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Qatar supplies almost all of China's LNG acquired from the Persian Gulf. President Trump is punishing Arab state allies much more than Iran. Don't you think the Arab States might be more than a little upset at having their economies wrecked because of Trump's unilateral war of choice?
President Trump's actions will also make the United States suffer because we import everything from Asia. We're going to see inflation caused by higher oil prices in Asia. We're going to experience shortages, too.
Now President Trump is threatening non-belligerent free navigation on the open seas which violates the very thing he claims to be protecting. That's a desperate move by an idiot. Trump is going to be in a very, very weak position when he meets with Xi Jinping in Beijing next month.
Every move President Trump has made to start and execute the war with Iran has only made the situation worse. Every botched up misstep during the war is solely Trump's fault. Trump has earned the blame for being so stupid.
I didn't realize Trump was President of Iran.
Our arab allies are pushing Trump to end the Iranian terror state as almost as hard as Israel is.
rump is going to be in a very, very weak position when he meets with Xi Jinping in Beijing next month.
Right. Because Chinese military tech performed so well in Iran. He's been killing generals out of pure happiness. The idea that losing Iran helps China is so preposterous as to make one wonder what could be the motives for posting it.
So XI must be an extraordinary idiot as he is building island fortresses in international waters to control shipping lanes in the South China Sea. I can't wait for progressives to condemn that.
Is that why they are fighting alongside the United States? Oh, wait ...
What Chinese military tech? Iran's military trade has been with Russia. Although it would be reasonable to assume Iran obtains components from China, as does most of the rest of the world. I'm not sure the US has faced Chinese MANPADS yet. Although we apparently did lose an F-15 to a a MANPADS.
How will China 'losing' Iran hurt China? Iran supplies little of China's material needs. And Iran is not a large market for Chinese products. Iran has been too isolated by sanctions to provide China an avenue for influence in the Middle East. In fact, President Trump has done more to expand China's influence in the Middle East than would have been possible with Iran.
China-Made Air Defense Systems Fail Combat Test in Iran - Seoul Economic Daily
Okay, Chinese radar and SAMs. Defensive systems. And we don't know much else beyond Iran hasn't been able to defend itself from the US military.
We have been so extravagant in our military spending that the US military defeating any other force on the planet is a baseline expectation. The US budgets 90 times more than has Iran on war making. If the US cannot bomb Iran back to the stone age then the American taxpayer has been cheated.
Why should that deserve an attaboy?
What? How does that work? Why would you want that? Who is going to compel this - the US Navy? Because they’re not busy, right?
Ships travel to us ports. It's already happening.
Why would you want that?
Because it's good for our country.
Who is going to compel this - the US Navy?
Why would anyone need to compel that?
Sure. Ships that have a reason to come to the US. What you said sounded like you want to route every ship coming out of the Strait of Hormuz to the United States. What for?
How?
Because not every ship has a reason to go to the US. You want to reroute ships to the US. What for?
This what one gets after a 3500 brainpower drop at the State Department is replaced by a handful of unexperienced sycophants.
Don't you mean 3500% reduction???
Yours is unrealistic, triggered expectations.
Mine is real...
Running back to the worst moments in Biden's presidency does not erase the damage that Trump has caused and will continue to cause with the support of his cult.
But it's the only thing they have left. Even some of Trump's base are turning on him. It will be a great day for the world when the rest of Trumps heeled dogs metaphorically turn on him as he's cast out of his tower like the fucking painted clown Jezebel he is and the dogs feast upon him until nothing but his tiny palms remain.
It just amazes me that anyone still supports this dangerous, incompetent buffoon. What is going on in their minds?
I understand how blind partisanship works, but these people are taking the 'anyone from my party is better than someone from the opposing party' to irrational extremes.
Metaphorically... of course.
where do I get that yard sign?
We have been trying to get Iran to open the strait. And when there’s a problem with the talks, we’re going to teach them a lesson by blocking the very strait we want opened?
This is a whole new level of insane. This goes beyond decisions that might be a good idea or a bad idea. This doesn’t even make logical sense.
On top of that, we’re going after ships that pay a toll to Iran. Iran puts a gun to your head for money. You pay to survive, but the US is going to put a gun to your head and pull the trigger afterward? Ships will just stop moving. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
Of course it does. Blockades have been used probably since the invention of warfare by ship. The logic of denying an enemy the trade their economy needs could not be more obvious.
Our position has been that we want the strait open. Why would we now want to close it? Closing it is already devastating the national and global economy. You want to force it to last longer?
Is it possible for Trump to do or say anything that you would question? He is literally doing the opposite of the thing he was demanding 24 hours ago.
And Iran has refused to do so. Instead its lets a few allied ships who buy passage through giving it much needed cash. If Iran won't open the straight, it makes no sense to allow it to use extortion to profit from it.
Closing it is already devastating the national and global economy. You want to force it to last longer?
Our economy is not "devastated." Gas prices today are about the equivalent of $2.00 gas in 2000, even with all the additional taxes that have been added since. .
He is literally doing the opposite of the thing he was demanding 24 hours ago.
As the situation on the ground changes, then tactics do. The goal remains the same.
You’re joking. Or you don’t drive. Trump talked about gas prices and inflation under Biden like the world was ending, and you all bought into it. Both are much higher now than when Biden left office, and you act like we should be grateful.
no. It's called math. Look it up.
Trump talked about gas prices and inflation under Biden like the world was ending, and you all bought into it.
9% inflation is really bad. Get the irony of how you talk about 3.3% inflation?
Both are much higher now than when Biden left office,
Inflation in march was 3.3% In January, 2025 it was 3.0%.
Core inflation was lower in March 2026 than January 2025.
So, no.
You responded to a statement about gasoline but then didn’t look up gasoline. Funny.
Campaign promises from Trump. These are quotes.
If it's so obvious, why didn't we lead with that?
Doesn't that sound like the plot to a very bad sitcom?