President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the United States would immediately begin blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a dramatic escalation after marathon talks with Iran failed to produce a deal and jeopardized a fragile two week ceasefire.

“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.

Trump also said in a post on Truth Social that the U.S. would interdict every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran, and begin destroying mines that he said the Iranians had dropped in the strait, a choke point for about 20% of global energy supplies that Iran has blocked.

“I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas,” Trump added.

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“Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!” he added. The escalation comes as both sides had earlier blamed the other for the failure of talks to end six weeks of fighting that has killed thousands, roiled the global economy and sent oil prices soaring.

“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement, and I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America,” Vice President JD Vance, the head of the U.S. delegation at the weekend talks, said earlier. “We’ve made very clear what our red lines are,” Vance added.

Iran’s Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who led his country’s delegation along with Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, blamed the U.S. for not winning Tehran’s trust despite his team offering “forward-looking initiatives.”

“The U.S. has understood Iran’s logic and principles and it’s time for them to decide whether they can earn our trust or not,” Qalibaf said on X.

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The talks, after a ceasefire earlier in the week, were the first direct U.S.-Iranian meeting in more than a decade and the highest-level discussions since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Vance said Iran had chosen not to accept American terms, including not to build nuclear weapons.

“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!” Trump said later.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said “excessive” U.S. demands had hindered reaching a deal. Other Iranian media said there was agreement on a number of issues, but the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program were the main points of difference.

There is a larger strategic frame to these developments. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said it was “imperative” to preserve the ceasefire that was agreed last Tuesday as the sides attempt to wind down a war that began on February 28 with air strikes by the U.S. and Israel on Iran.

Israeli security cabinet minister Zeev Elkin told Army Radio that more talks were still an option, but added: “The Iranians are playing with fire.”

In a brief press conference, Vance did not mention reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Even as the talks took place, U.S. ally Israel continued bombing Tehran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, insisting that that conflict was not part of the Iran-U.S. ceasefire. Iran says the fighting in Lebanon must stop.

The broader dynamic remains unsettled, yet America’s resolve is clear: the Strait will not remain a passive hurdle to energy markets, and American ships will defend the routes that power the global economy.

The War Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has framed the stance as a necessary step to secure critical arteries of world trade and deter further escalation.

He has underscored that American forces operate to safeguard allied interests and to maintain pressure on Iran until Tehran demonstrates a verifiable commitment to stability and denuclearization.

Three supertankers fully laden with oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, suggesting that calm periods may unfold even as the political clock ticks.

Hundreds of tankers remain queued in the Gulf, waiting for exit during the two week ceasefire window. The administration argues that free passage for global shipping remains essential, and the blockage is a leverage point designed to compel real negotiations.

The plan rests on a clear premise: safety in international waters, reliability of energy supplies, and deterrence against Iranian aggression.

It also depends on steady support from American allies who share concerns about the risk to global markets. As Washington presses forward, the administration argues that a tough line now could avert broader conflict while preserving strategic options for future diplomacy.

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