US Central Command ordered its naval forces to intercept all commercial vessels that have paid transit fees to Iran, effective 10:00 a.m. Eastern time on April 13, 2026 — the most significant maritime escalation in the US-Iran conflict since air and naval operations began February 28.
The blockade order followed the collapse of 21 hours of US-Iran negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan. Vice President JD Vance announced on April 12 that Iran had "refused to accept Washington's terms," including a binding commitment to halt uranium enrichment above 20% and grant International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors unrestricted site access. President Donald Trump announced the measure on Truth Social within hours: "IRAN IS UNWILLING TO GIVE UP ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS!" CENTCOM specified that the order does not restrict freedom of navigation for vessels bound for non-Iranian ports — it targets ships that have directly paid tolls or docking fees to Iranian government or IRGC-controlled port authorities.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded within two hours. "Security in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is either for everyone or for NO ONE," the IRGC said in a statement cited by Al Jazeera on April 13. "NO PORT in the region will be safe." Iran's foreign ministry separately called the blockade "an act of war" and summoned Pakistan's ambassador in Tehran to protest Islamabad's role as the negotiating venue.
