The U.S. military announced it will begin a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as ordered by Donald Trump at 10:00 a.m. U.S. time this Monday, or 9:00 p.m. the same day Thai time.
On 12 Apr 2026, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced it would start enforcing a maritime blockade on all traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports, following President Donald Trump's order, starting at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) Monday (around 9:00 p.m. the same day Thai time).
"This blockade will be applied equally to vessels of all countries entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports in the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman," CENTCOM stated in a post on platform X.
For ships not traveling to or from Iranian ports, passage through the Strait of Hormuz will remain free. CENTCOM confirmed this measure will "not obstruct the freedom of navigation" for those vessels.
CENTCOM's statement followed Trump's announcement of the blockade earlier this morning (U.S. time), a move that could drive oil prices higher as the Washington administration seeks to increase pressure to gain leverage over the Tehran government.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian parliament, responded to U.S. threats of the maritime blockade by posting a map of oil prices at a gas station near the White House on X, stating, "Enjoy the current oil prices, because with what you call a 'blockade,' soon you will be thinking about $4 to $5 per gallon oil prices."
Source:cnn