Trump Orders U.S. Navy Blockade of Strait of Hormuz
Hours after the Islamabad peace talks collapsed without a deal on April 12, 2026, President Trump announced the U.S. Navy would "immediately" begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz — the chokepoint for 20% of global energy supplies. Trump ordered the Navy to interdict "any and all ships" entering or leaving the strait and to seize vessels that have paid tolls to Iran. Oil prices surged above $100/barrel. The blockade is backed by a mine-clearing operation and a 40+ nation coalition led by the U.K. Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned the U.S. would be "trapped in a deadly vortex" if it made the wrong move. Senate Intelligence Vice Chair Mark Warner questioned the logic: the strait was open before the war started.
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