Foreign Affairs: The US military announced it would begin closing all Iranian ports and coastal areas on Monday as US President Donald Trump sought to pressure Iran in a move that risks pushing up oil prices and escalating the war.
According to the AP published on April 13, 2026, the announcement set the stage for a confrontation as Iran immediately responded with threats against all ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
“No port in the region will be safe,” the Islamic Republic’s state broadcaster reported on Monday, according to a statement from the Iranian military and the Revolutionary Guard Corps.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the closure would begin on Monday at 10 a.m. or 5:30 p.m. in Iran and would be “imposed without discrimination against vessels of all nations entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf (Persian Gulf) and the Gulf of Oman.”
CENTCOM said it would still allow ships traveling between non-Iranian ports to pass through the strait, a step back from the president’s previous threat to close the entire strait.
Translated by Nay Tola
