TOP STORIES
U.S. Begins a Blockade of the Strait of Hormuz | New York Times
President Trump’s effort to strangle Iran’s economy took effect on Monday as the U.S. military confirmed it had begun enforcing a blockade of all maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf. . . . In explaining the blockade, the U.S. military said Sunday that it would block ships “entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas,” while allowing other vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz on their way to or from non-Iranian ports. But shipowners and shipping experts said Monday they did not expect a large number of vessels to return quickly to the Strait of Hormuz, in part because the U.S. plan lacked details on how commercial vessels would be protected if they decided to transit the waterway.
Trump Threatens Military Action in Strait of Hormuz if Iran Challenges New Blockade | Politico
President Donald Trump threatened additional military action against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, just hours after a U.S. blockade in the critical waterway went into effect earlier Monday. In a post to Truth Social, the president said that the entire Iranian navy has been “obliterated,” with 158 ships laying at the bottom of the sea. But what hasn’t been attacked, he said, are “their small number of, what they call, ‘fast attack ships.’” While those ships are not currently considered a threat, Trump said, the U.S. will strike if Iran attempts to weaponize them. “Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea,” Trump said. “It is quick and brutal.”
Negotiating teams from the U.S. and Iran could return to Pakistan later this week to resume negotiations to end the war in the Gulf, Pakistani and Iranian officials said on Tuesday, days after the first peace talks ended without a breakthrough. There was no immediate confirmation from U.S. officials about the plans, which the Iranian and Pakistani officials discussed on condition of anonymity.
UANI IN THE NEWS
US-Sanctioned Tanker Tests Trump Blockade with Hormuz Exit | Bloomberg
“The real issue is not simply whether ships can pass through Hormuz, but what spectrum of enforcement options US warships apply, and where they choose to apply them,” said Charlie Brown, an advisor to United Against Nuclear Iran.
UANI Research Director Daniel Roth Discusses U.S. Blockade | LiveNow on Fox
Roth: "It's worth going back a few days and recalling that many were calling this blockade by the Iranians and ceasefire... we were told this was America's 'Suez Moment,' the greatest American foreign policy blunder of modern history... four days later what we've seen is President Trump pulling the ultimate UNO reverse card."
UANI Policy Director Jason M. Brodsky Discusses U.S. Blockade | ILTV
Brodsky: "This is really a continuation in another chapter of President Trump's brand of coercive diplomacy against the Islamic Republic. . . He gives the Islamic Republic a diplomatic offramp and prepares the CENTCOM theater for a military option should that become necessary."
How Many Ships Are Crossing the Strait of Hormuz? | BBC Verify
A second vessel, the NV Sunshine, is suspected by the US-based group United Against Nuclear Iran of helping transport Iranian petroleum products.
Blockade Gives Rise to the Question: How Much Longer Can Iran Stay in the Fight? | Washington Times
After the war started, Iran continued exporting oil through a network of “shadow tankers,” or vessels used to transport sanctioned cargo. United Against Nuclear Iran, a U.S.-based advocacy organization focused on preventing Iran from achieving nuclear weapons, has tracked at least 37 Iranian oil loadings since the start of the war, representing more than 46 million barrels of oil.
US Blockade of Iranian Ports Comes into Force | Seatrade Maritime
Despite the conflict Iran managed to continue exporting crude via the Strait of Hormuz. According to United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) Iran was exported 1.15 million barrels of oil during March, about half the amount in February prior to the conflict. Nearly all of this volume – 1.14 million barrels was exported to China. The estimated value of these exports was $3.63 billion.
MILITARY MATTERS & STRAIT OF HORMUZ CRISIS
Trump Said Other Countries Would Help Blockade Iran. So Far, There Are No Takers | New York Times
The U.S. Navy will block access to Iran’s ports starting on Monday and intercept any ships that pay Iran for safe passage, [President] Trump said in a post on social media. He also suggested that other militaries would join the effort. . . . Early Monday, there was no sign of volunteers.
A Chinese tanker sanctioned by the United States has passed through the Strait of Hormuz despite a US blockade on the chokepoint, shipping data shows. The Rich Starry would be the first to make it through the strait and to exit the Gulf since the blockade began, data from LSEG, MarineTraffic and Kpler shows.
Saudi Arabia Is Pressing U.S. to Drop Its Hormuz Blockade | Wall Street Journal
Saudi Arabia is pressing the U.S. to drop its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and return to the negotiating table, fearing President Trump’s move to close it off could lead Iran to escalate and disrupt other important shipping routes, Arab officials said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has arrived in Beijing as the United States blocks the Strait of Hormuz, through which China imports about a third of its oil supplies. Lavrov received a red-carpet welcome on Tuesday, according to photos shared by Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
DIPLOMACY
Vice President Vance accused Iran of “economic terrorism” over how it has blocked the Strait of Hormuz – but said the ball is in Tehran’s court when it comes to securing a peace deal. “Well, as the president of the United States showed, two can play that game,” Vance told Fox News Monday – just hours after the US blockade came into force. “If the Iranians are going to try to engage in economic terrorism, we’re going to abide by the simple principle that no Iranian ships are getting out either.
U.S. Asked Iran to Freeze Uranium Enrichment for 20 Years, Sources Say | Axios
The U.S. proposed that Iran accept a 20-year moratorium on uranium enrichment during negotiations in Islamabad over the weekend, according to a U.S. official and a source with knowledge. The Iranians countered with a shorter "single digit" period, according to the sources.
Trump Officials Discussing Another Potential In-Person Meeting with Iranians | CNN
Trump officials are internally discussing details for a potential second, in-person meeting with Iranian officials before the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran expires next week, should the opportunity present itself, a source familiar with the talks told CNN, though it’s unclear whether such a meeting could materialize. . . . “We need to be prepared to stand something up quickly should things head in that direction,” the source said.
U.S. Is Negotiating an Iran Deal That Would Buy Time, Again | New York Times
Just before Vice President JD Vance left Islamabad early Sunday morning, he described Iran and the United States as worlds apart, chiefly on the question of assurances that Iran can never build a nuclear weapon — “not just now, not just two years from now, but for the long term.”
Mediators Pursue Iran-US Deal in Back-Channel Diplomacy | Financial Times
Regional mediators are keeping back channels open between the US and Iran in a bid to revive peace talks and sustain a fragile ceasefire between the warring parties, people briefed on the matter said. . . . [B]ehind the scenes, there are “active talks” ongoing through Pakistan to extend the ceasefire and secure a more permanent deal, one Pakistani diplomat said. A second non-Pakistani diplomat said the US and Iran were still exchanging responses to a potential deal via mediators. People briefed on discussions said the intermediaries were seeking to convince the parties to hold lower-level “technical talks” to hammer out disagreements over issues such as the reopening of the strait and Iran’s nuclear programme.
Trump Says Iran Still Wants to Make a Deal | New York Times
“We’ve been called by the other side and they would like to make a deal very badly,” [President] Trump said. “We’ve been called this morning by the right people, the appropriate people, and they want to work a deal.” Trump went on to say that Iran won’t have a nuclear weapon—a key focus of talks. “We agreed to a lot of things, but we did not agree to that, but I think they will agree to it,” Trump said.
Iranian Delegation Felt 'Threatened', Changed Travel Plans After Talks | Iran International
A member of Iran’s delegation to talks with the US in Pakistan said the team felt seriously threatened while returning to Tehran, claiming their plane diverted to Mashhad before members traveled onward by train, car and bus.
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
Iran’s Central Bank Warns Economy May Take 12 Years to Rebuild After War | Iran International
Iran’s central bank has warned President Masoud Pezeshkian that rebuilding the country’s war-damaged economy could take more than a decade, sources familiar with internal deliberations told Iran International.