Trump: Other Nations Working to Block Iran Oil Sales

United States President Donald Trump announced a naval blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports, set to take effect at 10 a.m. ET on Monday, April 13, 2026. The operation is designed to prevent Iran from selling oil and to cut off a primary source of financing for the Iranian government and its military operations.

The blockade will be enforced across Iranian ports located in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. US Central Command clarified that the military action will not affect vessels transiting to and from non-Iranian ports.

International Coordination and Oil Market Impact

Speaking to reporters upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Sunday, April 12, 2026, President Trump stated that the United States is not acting alone in this effort. He noted that multiple other nations are working alongside the US to ensure that Iran remains unable to sell its oil, describing the combined effort as very effective.

The announcement comes amid a surge in global oil prices. Trump claimed that many tankers are currently rerouting to the United States to fill up with oil to avoid the Strait of Hormuz. He asserted that the United States possesses more oil than Russia and Saudi Arabia combined, which he cited as the reason for the increase in tankers heading toward US ports.

A lot of very good things are happening with regard to the Strait of Hormuz. We have a blockade going into effect, that’ll be 10:00 tomorrow. Other nations are working so that, Iran will not be able to sell oil. And, that will be a very effective.

President Donald Trump

Collapse of Islamabad Negotiations

The decision to implement the blockade follows the failure of US-Iran negotiations held in Islamabad over the weekend of April 11-12, 2026. While President Trump indicated that the talks had made progress on several issues, he stated that the negotiations ultimately broke down over the central dispute regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

Trump characterized the current state of the Iranian government as very desperate to reach a deal and claimed that the country is in very bad shape. When asked if Iran would return to the negotiating table, the president stated that he would be fine regardless of whether they returned.

Military Status and Naval Operations

Regarding the broader conflict, President Trump claimed that the existing ceasefire is holding well. He further asserted that the Iranian military has been destroyed, specifically claiming that their whole Navy is underwater.

The blockade was also signaled via Truth Social on the morning of Sunday, April 12, 2026, where the president stated that the US Navy would begin the process of blockading any and all ships attempting to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz. He noted that the goal would eventually be a basis where all ships are allowed to move in and out, but argued that Iran had not allowed that to happen.

Context of the Strait of Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical waterway for global energy supplies. While the US has sanctioned Iranian oil periodically for decades, Iran has maintained some export capabilities. Data from the analytics firm Kpler showed that Iran exported an average of 1.85 million barrels of crude per day through March 2026, which was an increase of approximately 100,000 barrels per day over the preceding three months.

Reporting from CNN indicates that the strait was not technically closed prior to this blockade; instead, Iran had been gradually allowing some tankers to pass through in exchange for tolls that reached as high as $2 million per ship. By implementing a full blockade on Iranian ports, the Trump administration intends to eliminate this revenue stream and the ability of Iran to export its own crude oil.