-- U.S. President Donald Trump warned on social media that the U.S. Navy would immediately begin blockading all ships attempting to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz after a failed talk with Tehran.
Trump said in a Truth Social post on Sunday that while the goal is eventually to reach an "all being allowed to go in, all being allowed to go out" arrangement, Iran has prevented this by citing vague concerns about undisclosed mines.
"Iran has not allowed that to happen by merely saying, 'There may be a mine out there somewhere,' that nobody knows about but them," Trump wrote.
Trump further directed the Navy to intercept any vessel in international waters that has paid a toll to Iran while also ordering the destruction of mines allegedly laid by Iran in the strait and warning that any Iranian attack on U.S. or peaceful vessels would result in them being "BLOWN TO HELL."
Meanwhile, Reuters News, citing the U.S. Central Command, reported that the blockade of all maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports is set to begin at 10 a.m. ET on Monday.
The command clarified that freedom of navigation would remain unaffected for ships transiting the strait to non-Iranian ports, with formal notices to be issued to commercial mariners beforehand, the newswire said.