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US-Iran Blockade
President Donald Trump announced that the United States would begin blockading all maritime traffic entering or leaving Iranian ports.
CENTCOM said the blockade would be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations.
It clarified that ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports would not be impeded.
The announcement came after U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks in Pakistan ended without agreement.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned that any military vessel approaching the strait would violate the ceasefire and face a forceful response.
Failed Peace Talks
The blockade announcement followed marathon peace talks in Islamabad that ended without agreement.
Vice President JD Vance said the Iranians have chosen not to accept our terms.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said the U.S. was unable to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation.
Trump blamed Iran's nuclear ambitions for the talks' failure.
Pakistan said it would try to facilitate new dialogue.
Global Market Impact
The U.S. blockade sent shockwaves through global energy markets.
Brent crude surged above $100 a barrel for the first time since the war began.
Saudi Arabia restored full pumping capacity through its East-West pipeline.
Analysts warned that any long-term restrictions could keep crude prices unstable.
The IMF warned the escalating crisis is weakening global economic projections.
Trump-Pope Feud
Trump escalated his feud with Pope Leo XIV after the pope criticized the Iran war.
Trump called the pope WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.
The pope had condemned Trump’s threats to destroy Iranian civilization as truly unacceptable.
The war’s popularity continued to decline in the U.S.
