12/04/2026
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12/04/2026
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WASHINGTON, Apr 12: U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that the United States Navy will begin a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and intercept vessels allegedly linked to payments made to Iran.
In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said the operation would begin “immediately,” claiming the U.S. Navy would block any ships entering or leaving the strategic waterway.
“Effective immediately, the United States Navy… will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” he wrote.
Trump also said the U.S. Navy had been instructed to intercept vessels in international waters that he claimed had paid “illegal tolls” to Iran, accusing Tehran of extortion and violating maritime law.
“No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas,” he said.
He further claimed that the U.S. would begin removing naval mines he alleged had been placed in the waterway and warned of military retaliation if Iranian forces targeted U.S. or commercial vessels.
“Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!” he said, adding that U.S. forces were “LOCKED AND LOADED” for possible further action.
The statements come amid rising tensions in the Gulf region and heightened concerns over the security of global shipping routes, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil transport.
