President Trump has ordered the United States Navy to begin an immediate blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, declaring that high-stakes nuclear negotiations in Pakistan have ended without a deal.
Following a 21-hour marathon session between U.S. representatives and Iranian officials, the President announced on Truth Social that the military will now shift to a “locked and loaded” footing to end what he called “world extortion.”
“Iran is unwilling to give up its nuclear ambitions!” Trump wrote on Sunday. While noting that representatives had reached agreement on several other points during the talks in Islamabad, the President stated that those concessions “don’t matter compared to allowing Nuclear Power to be in the hands of such volatile, difficult, unpredictable people.”
The President’s directive instructs the Navy to blockade any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait and to interdict any vessel in international waters that has paid a “toll” to Iran.
READ: No Deal With Iran: Vance Walks Away After 21-Hour Marathon Nuclear Talks Collapse
Trump also warned that the U.S. would begin destroying mines laid in the waterway. “Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!” the President stated. “Additionally and, at an appropriate moment, we are fully “LOCKED AND LOADED,” and our Military will finish up the little that is left of Iran!”
The announcement followed a debriefing from Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, who met with Iranian officials Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Abbas Araghchi, and Ali Bagheri.
Trump praised the “kind and very competent leadership” of Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for hosting the summit.
Vice President Vance spoke briefly to reporters, confirming the collapse of the talks. Vance stated that the U.S. negotiated in “good faith” but could not secure an “affirmative commitment” that Iran would forgo the tools needed to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon.
“We have made very clear what our red lines are,” Vance told the press. “They have chosen not to accept our terms.”
The Vice President noted he was in constant communication with the President throughout the 21-hour window, speaking with him “a half dozen times, a dozen times” as the negotiations unfolded.
After answering three questions in a briefing that lasted just over three minutes, Vance walked away from the podium, leaving the “final and best offer” behind as the administration pivoted to military action.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
