Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) issued a warning on Sunday, declaring that any military vessels attempting to approach the Strait of Hormuz would be considered a direct violation of the two-week ceasefire with the United States and would be met with a “harsh and decisive” response. In a statement broadcast by Iranian state media, the IRGC Navy Command asserted that the strategic waterway remains under the “full control and intelligent management” of Iran’s naval forces, open only to non-military vessels that comply with Tehran’s “specific regulations”. The warning was accompanied by a dramatic video posted on X, showing vessels in crosshairs and the ominous declaration: “The enemy will become trapped in a deadly vortex in the strait if it makes the wrong move”.
The IRGC’s warning came just hours after marathon negotiations in Islamabad collapsed, with the United States refusing to accept a diplomatic solution. Despite 21 gruelling hours of direct, face-to-face talks between high-level delegations, no formal agreement was reached to end the devastating six-week war. While the US blamed its own demands regarding Iran’s nuclear program, Iranian state media reported that the failure was due to “stark differences” and “unreasonable” American demands that amounted to a violation of Tehran’s sovereign rights. Vice President JD Vance claimed Washington had put forward its “final and best offer,” but Iran’s delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, refused to concede to the United States’ points. Iranian state media noted that the US has been “unable to gain the trust of the Iranian delegation,” a direct result of decades of broken promises and aggressive policies.
In an escalation to the matter, President Donald Trump responded to the diplomatic deadlock by ordering the US Navy to impose an immediate naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz. On his Truth Social platform, Trump declared, “Effective immediately, the United States Navy will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz”. He further ordered the interdiction of any vessel that has paid a toll to Iran, describing Tehran’s legitimate exercise of control over its own waters as “world extortion”. Trump also threatened that “any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL”. This act violates the very ceasefire that the United States agreed to less than a week ago and risks plunging the region back into full-scale warfare. The order came after the US Central Command claimed that two American destroyers had already transited the strait to begin mine-clearing operations, a claim that Iran has strongly denied.