Iran has warned that it will retaliate against ports in neighbouring Gulf states if the United States goes ahead with its planned naval blockade of Iranian shipping, sharply raising tensions in an already volatile region.
The warning came after U.S. confirmed it would begin restricting vessels leaving Iranian ports following the collapse of weekend peace talks in Islamabad.
Those discussions had been seen as a last-ditch effort to stabilise the six-week conflict, but instead ended in deadlock, leaving an already fragile ceasefire hanging in the balance.
Oil markets reacted immediately, with prices climbing back above $100 a barrel as traders braced for further disruption.
Much of the concern centres on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy corridors, where any prolonged disruption can quickly ripple through global supply chains.
Since the conflict began, Iran has tightened its grip on movement through the strait, allowing only limited access under conditions it sets itself.
In response, Donald Trump has said the United States will block not only Iranian vessels, but also any ships complying with what Washington describes as illegal transit fees.
U.S. Central Command said the blockade will come into force on Monday and apply to all ships entering or leaving Iranian ports across the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
Officials insist the measure will be enforced “impartially,” but it nonetheless marks a significant escalation in the confrontation.
Iran has strongly rejected the move, calling it unlawful and warning that any attempt to threaten its ports would put shipping across the wider Gulf region at risk.
The statement underlines growing fears that the standoff could spill beyond Iran and the United States, drawing in other coastal states.
In the meantime, reports indicate that at least two tankers linked to Iran left the region shortly before the blockade deadline, carrying oil products through the strait as uncertainty gripped the market.
Despite the escalating rhetoric, President Trump has suggested he still expects negotiations with Tehran to continue.
But both sides remain far apart, with Iran demanding sanctions relief and recognition of its control over the strait, while Washington continues to insist on limits to Iran’s military and nuclear programme.
Analysts caution that enforcing a blockade of this scale could prove extremely difficult over time, particularly without wider international support.
With the ceasefire clock running down, the region now finds itself in a precarious position caught between stalled diplomacy and the growing risk of renewed conflict, while global energy markets watch nervously from the sidelines.
