US Military Begins Blockade of Iranian Ports, What is Tehran's Reaction?

The United States’ military action in blockading Iranian ports to open the Strait of Hormuz officially began on Monday (13/04) at 10.00 ET or 21.00 WIB.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that the blockade was carried out on the orders of President Donald Trump. The operation aims to prevent ships from sailing to or from Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman east of the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, Iran has warned that no ports in the area will be safe if Iran’s security is threatened.

Based on a notice issued by CENTCOM to sailors and reported by Reuters news agency, ships entering or leaving the blockaded area without permission will be intercepted, diverted, or detained.

Nevertheless, ships carrying food and medicine are still permitted to pass, provided they undergo inspection procedures.

Satellite imagery shows that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has been on standby in the eastern Gulf of Oman, about 200 km south of Iranian waters, since Saturday (11/04).

In addition to deploying the aircraft carrier, the US military has dispatched two destroyers carrying cruise missiles.

Previously, US President Donald Trump threatened to impose a naval blockade on Iranian ports after negotiators from both sides failed to reach an agreement in Islamabad to end the war.

“No one who pays illegal tolls will get a safe passage in international waters,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

He also stated that the US would continue to clear mines in the Strait of Hormuz to ensure the safety of allied shipping.

The US military, he added, is in a “combat-ready” position and prepared to continue attacks on Iran at the “appropriate time.”

A woman waves Iran’s national flag in front of a giant billboard reading ‘Strait of Hormuz remains closed’ in Tehran’s Revolution Square. Sunday (12/04). (Anadolu via Getty Images)

What is Iran’s reaction to the US action?

The latest statement came from Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said that the US and Iran were actually “one step away” from reaching an agreement in peace talks in Pakistan.

However, according to him, Tehran was then faced with a “maximalist stance, constant changes in demands, and blockade threats.”

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s Parliamentary Speaker who led the negotiations in Pakistan, mocked the US decision.

In a post on platform X, he wrote:

“Enjoy the current petrol prices at the pump. With what they call a ‘blockade,’ you’ll soon be nostalgic for $45 US petrol.”

In a previous statement carried by Iranian media, Ghalibaf also emphasised that Iran would not “yield under threats.”

In response to President Trump’s earlier threat to blockade “every and all ships” attempting to enter or exit the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s navy stated that any military ships approaching those waters would be dealt with “harshly.”

What did Trump say about the Iranian port blockade?

In a post on Truth Social on Sunday (12/04), Trump said that the US would begin “BLOCKADING every and all ships attempting to enter or exit the Strait of Hormuz.”

“I have also instructed our Navy to search and intercept every ship in international waters that has paid tolls to Iran. No one who pays illegal tolls will have safe passage in international waters,” Trump said.

He added that the US would also begin destroying mines that he claims Iran has placed in the strait.

“Every Iranian who shoots at us, or peaceful ships, will be BLASTED TO HELL!” he continued.

Trump said that “at some point” an agreement on free passage would be reached, but “Iran won’t let that happen just by saying, ‘There might be mines somewhere out there,’ which no one knows about except them.”

He added in another post that “Iran promised to open the Strait of Hormuz, and they deliberately failed to do so.”

“As they promised, they had better start the process of OPENING THIS INTERNATIONAL WATERWAY AND FAST!” he said.

How will the blockade proceed?

The US Navy Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations, released in 2022, defines a blockade as “a belligerent operation to prevent vessels and/or aircraft of all nations, enemy and neutral, from entering or exiting certain ports, airports, or coastal areas that are owned by, occupied by, or under the control of an enemy state.”

Trump initially said the US Navy would begin the process of blockading the strait, “effective immediately.”

Then on Sunday (12/04), he told Fox News that the blockade “will take a little time, but will be effective soon enough,” and described it as an “all or nothing” policy.

In a post on X, the US Central Command (Centcom) said its forces would begin enforcing the blockade on Monday (13/04) at 10.00 EDT (21.00 WIB).

“The blockade will be enforced impartially against ships from all nations entering or exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports in the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman,” it said.

Centcom added that US forces would not impede the freedom of ships transiting to and from non-Iranian ports, and that additional information would be provided to commercial sailors through official notices before the blockade begins.

Trump said that other countries would be involved in the strait blockade, but did not mention which ones.

Trump also told Fox News that NATO has offered assistance to “clear” the strait, adding that the strait would soon be free to navigate.