▲ This file photo, released by AFP, shows cargo ships and tankers sailing off the coastal city of Fujairah in the Strait of Hormuz on February 25, 2026. (Yonhap)

US-maritime blockade

U.S. to start blockading all ship traffic in Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea on Monday

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, April 13 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. military will start blockading all ship traffic in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea east of the crucial Strait of Hormuz on Monday morning (Washington time), the U.S. Central Command said in a note to seafarers, according to a report.

The blockade is set to take effect at 10 a.m., Reuters reported, as President Donald Trump announced the plan for the blockade Sunday after the United States and Iran failed to reach an agreement during their peace talks in Islamabad over the weekend.

"Any vessel entering or departing the blockaded area without authorization is subject to interception, diversion, and capture," the note said, according to Reuters.

"The blockade will not impede neutral transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations," it added.

The planned blockade in the Strait of Hormuz is apparently aimed at putting pressure on Iran, as it could restrict Tehran's ability to export oil, its key source of revenue. Iran has used the strait as a vital source of strategic leverage in hopes of getting U.S. concessions.

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