At 4:00 PM Italian time, Donald Trump's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz went into effect. "Be warned, if any of these ships come close to our blockade, they will be immediately eliminated, using the same extermination system we use against drug traffickers on vessels at sea. It's swift and brutal." The aim of the blockade is to prohibit transit into and out of the Strait , which is under Iranian control.

"The Iranian Navy," Trump added, "is lying on the seabed, completely destroyed: 158 ships. We didn't hit their small number of what they call fast attack ships, because we didn't consider them a major threat."

More than 15 American ships are conducting the operation, the WSJ reports, citing a US official, who said the United States can count on guided-missile destroyers and several warships capable of launching helicopters in the Middle East to support boarding operations.

Great Britain is not participating in the blockade, as Trump had initially announced: the BBC first reported it, then confirmed by Prime Minister Starmer. European countries, China, Russia, the Gulf countries, and the UN condemn the US president's decision, which is supported only by Benjamin Netanyahu .

The IRGC, for its part, warned that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and that any threat to the country's ports would trigger a broader regional response. "No port in the Persian Gulf or the Sea of Oman would remain safe if Iranian ports were targeted," warned Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesman for the headquarters of the Khatam al-Anbiya Unified Command. The Iranian Armed Forces, he continued, "consider the defense of the country's national rights a natural and legitimate obligation, including the exercise of sovereignty in the country's territorial waters." "Enemy-affiliated vessels do not have and will not have the right to pass through the Strait of Hormuz," he said. "Other vessels will be authorized to transit the strait in accordance with the regulations of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he clarified.

The fragile ceasefire is holding for now, but "it could end very soon," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said . And Trump himself, according to the WSJ, is considering, in addition to a halt, "targeted military strikes." Trump could also resume a full-blown bombing campaign, although officials have said this is less likely, given the prospect of further destabilization in the region and the president's aversion to protracted military conflicts.

"We are ready for any scenario," responded the interim Iranian Defense Minister, Brigadier General Majid Ibn Reza . "Any aggression would provoke a harsh and decisive response. The armed forces are on maximum alert, and the country is prepared for any scenario."

Talks, however, are still ongoing. Last weekend's negotiations stalled, according to an informed source, over the US proposal to Iran to accept a 20-year moratorium on uranium enrichment. The Iranians responded by proposing a shorter, "single-digit" period.

Trump then addressed the potential deal, emphasizing Vice President J.D. Vance's "good work" in negotiations with the IRA and that "the sticking point of the negotiations was the nuclear issue." "The other side called us and wants a deal. We were called this morning by the right people, and they want to work on a deal," he added, without naming Iran.

News for Monday, April 13, 2024:

IMF, World Bank, and IEA: Joint Action on the Impact of the Middle East War

The impact of the war in the Middle East "is significant, global, and highly asymmetric, disproportionately affecting energy-importing countries, particularly low-income ones," with rising oil, gas, and fertilizer prices. This was stated in a joint statement by the heads of the International Energy Agency (IEA), the IMF, and the World Bank, meeting today in Washington. They pledged to "closely monitor and assess the impact of the war on energy markets, the global economy, and individual countries, while coordinating our response and support" to the affected countries.

First ship passes through Hormuz since US blockade begins

The BBC reports that it has identified what appears to be the first vessel to cross the

Strait of Hormuz since the US imposed a blockade on Iranian-bound oil tankers and Iranian ports. According to MarineTraffic vessel tracking data, the container ship Paya Lebar is headed to Dubai, UAE, after departing India. Another vessel, the oil tanker Rich Starry, reversed course while approaching the Strait, MarineTraffic shows. It is unclear whether the ship, subject to US sanctions, was attempting to pass through the Strait and then exit via the Gulf of Oman.

(Unioneonline)

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