Iran warns ‘no port will be safe’ after US threatens Iranian ports blockade

Iran on Monday issued a strong warning to countries in the region, saying ports across the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman could be at risk after the US moved to enforce a naval blockade targeting Iranian waters.

“Security in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is either for everyone or for no one,” Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB said, signalling a broader escalation.

The Iranian military warned, “No port in the region will be safe.”

The sharp response comes after US President Donald Trump announced that the US Navy would begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz and intercepting vessels linked to Iran, following inconclusive talks between the two countries.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said negotiations had made progress but failed to resolve key disagreements over Iran’s nuclear programme. He declared, “Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.”

He also warned of action against ships financially engaging with Iran, saying, “I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.”

The US Central Command later confirmed that the blockade would take effect from 10 a.m. ET (1400 GMT) on Monday. It said enforcement would apply “impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.”