The US threatens a complete blockade of Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz.

President Donald Trump announced on April 12 that the U.S. Navy would soon begin blockading ships entering or exiting the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The promise came after U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks in Pakistan failed to reach a conclusion, according to reports. Associated Press.

US Central Command announced that the blockade will extend to all Iranian ports. It will begin on April 13 at 10:00 a.m. ET (17:30 p.m. Iran time) and will be "applied impartially to vessels of all nations."

At the same time, Central Command clarified that ships traveling between non-Iranian ports would be allowed to pass. This statement was a softer statement than the president's previous threat to close the entire strait. This measure allows traffic through this key waterway to continue, provided that Iranian ports are avoided.

On the subject: The US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, with Tehran declaring it would open the Strait of Hormuz.

Before the fighting began, about 20% of the world's oil passed through this route.

Even after the ceasefire, traffic remains limited. According to maritime trackers, only about 40 commercial vessels have crossed the strait since the ceasefire was declared.

A US blockade could further destabilize global energy markets.

That same day, April 12, Trump continued his war-related polemic with Pope Leo XIV, sharply criticizing him in a post in Truth Social and calling the Catholic leader "utterly incompetent in foreign policy." This statement came after Leo XIV condemned the war and called on political leaders to stop and negotiate peace.

"If you fight, we will fight too."

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the strait remained "fully under Iran's control" and would be open to civilian vessels, but warships would face a "harsh response," two semi-official Iranian news agencies reported.

During 21 hours of talks in Pakistan, the US military announced that two destroyers had passed through the strait ahead of mine-clearing operations—the first time since the war began. Iran denied this.

Trump's plan to use the navy to block the strait is unrealistic, and he will have to make concessions on a number of issues, according to Andreas Krieg, senior lecturer in security studies at King's College London. He argues that the president lacks effective military tools.

Trump, meanwhile, stated that Tehran's nuclear ambitions were the key reason for the failure of the talks. In an interview with Fox News, he again threatened to strike civilian infrastructure.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who led the Iranian delegation at the talks, said to Trump upon his return to the country: "If you fight, we will fight."

What will follow the truce?

The talks, which concluded early on April 12, were the highest-level contacts between the long-time foes since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Neither side has said what will happen after the ceasefire ends on April 22.

"We need clear assurances that they will not seek to develop nuclear weapons," said Vice President J.D. Vance, who led the US delegation.

According to another US official, who wished to remain anonymous, Iranian negotiators were unable to agree to all of the US's "red lines." The US's key demands include Iran's renunciation of nuclear weapons, the cessation of uranium enrichment, the dismantling of key enrichment facilities, the handing over of its highly enriched uranium stockpiles, the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the cessation of funding for Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.

According to Iranian officials, the negotiations have stalled on two or three key issues. Qalibaf, while noting some progress, emphasized that the US must now decide whether it can earn Iran's trust.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar assured that his country would try to facilitate the resumption of dialogue in the coming days. Iran, according to the state news agency IRNA, expressed its readiness to continue negotiations.

The European Union called for continued diplomatic efforts. The Foreign Minister of Oman, located on the southern shore of the Strait of Hormuz, called on the parties to "make painful concessions." The Kremlin reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a conversation with the Iranian president, emphasized his readiness to facilitate a diplomatic settlement.

Iran's nuclear program remains a stumbling block

Iran's nuclear program was a source of tension long before the US and Israel launched military action on February 28.

For decades, Tehran has denied any desire to develop nuclear weapons. At the same time, it insists on its right to a peaceful nuclear program. The 2015 nuclear deal, from which the US subsequently withdrew following Trump's decision, took more than a year of negotiations. Experts note that while Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles are not sufficient for nuclear weapons, they are technically within reach.

An Iranian diplomat, who asked to remain anonymous, rejected claims that the country's nuclear ambitions were the reason for the collapse of the talks.

Within Iran itself, fatigue and frustration are building after months of instability: first mass protests over economic and then political issues, and weeks spent sheltering in place due to US and Israeli strikes.

"We never sought war. But if they try to achieve at the negotiating table what they couldn't achieve on the battlefield, that will be absolutely unacceptable to us," Mohammad Bagher Karami said in Tehran.

Israeli operations in Lebanon

Iran's ten-point proposal called for a halt to Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel claims the ceasefire does not apply to that territory, while Iran and Pakistan claim the opposite.

On April 12, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Israeli-controlled areas of southern Lebanon for the first time since the current phase of the conflict began. Attacks on the south of the country intensified alongside the resumption of ground operations after Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel in the early days of the war.

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Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are expected to begin on April 14 in Washington. Israel insists that Lebanon assume responsibility for disarming Hezbollah, but the group has remained powerful for decades.

On the day the ceasefire agreement with Iran was announced, Israel launched massive airstrikes on Beirut, killing more than 300 people, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that six people were killed on April 12 in the village of Maaroub, near the coastal city of Tyre.

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