US announces aggressive expansion of Iran blockade, warns regime to ‘choose wisely’ WASHINGTON — The US military will “actively pursue” any Iranian-flagged vessels or any ships attempting to support the regime elsewhere in the world, Gen. Dan Caine Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced Thursday — in an expansion of the blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz. Caine explained that in addition to cutting off the regime’s ports in the critical oil chokepoint, other US military assets will also look out for and stop vessels elsewhere, including in the Indo-Pacific region. “The joint force, through operations and activities in other areas of responsibility, like the Pacific Area of Responsibility under the command of Admiral [Samuel] Paparo, will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran,” Caine said at a press conference on Thursday. Follow The Post’s live coverage of President Trump and national politics for the latest news and analysis “This includes Dark Fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil. As most of you know, Dark Fleet vessels or those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions or insurance requirements.” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also warned Iranian leaders to “choose wisely” on whether to accept a deal with the US. “To Iran: Choose wisely. I pray you choose a deal which is in your grasp for the betterment of your people and for the betterment of the world,” Hegseth said at the press conference. “In the meantime, the War Department is locked and loaded.” President Trump first announced the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday — and by Tuesday US Central Command, which coordinates the joint forces in the Middle East, announced the cutting off of Iranian ports was fully implemented. Caine also stressed, as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did on Wednesday, that non-Iranian-linked traffic is still allowed to trek through the Strait of Hormuz. “Let me be clear, this blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports,” Caine said. “The US action is a blockade of Iran’s ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Enforcement will occur inside Iran’s territorial seas.”
US announces aggressive expansion of Iran blockade, warns regime to ‘choose wisely’ WASHINGTON — The US military will “actively pursue” any Iranian-flagged vessels or any ships attempting to support the regime elsewhere in the world, Gen. Dan Caine Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of…
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International mediators have proposed a 10-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran, according to a senior Iranian official cited in reports. The measure is described as intended to reduce hostilities and allow renewed talks on a prior interim agreement.
Both sides are assessing next steps in the current regional security situation.
Reports indicate that a US-Iran ceasefire has broken down amid renewed fighting, with the potential impact of mediation efforts by Pakistan, Qatar, and Oman remaining unclear. Earlier diplomatic steps included a June memorandum of understanding between the parties for further negotiations and talks hosted in Geneva in February.
The summary also references Europe’s historical role in diplomacy, including the 1814-15 Congress of Vienna.
Donald Trump stated in a Fox News interview that his representatives had spoken with Iranian officials an hour earlier and that those officials wanted to make a deal to end the conflict, though he noted they had broken prior agreements and expressed uncertainty about whether one would be reached.
He added that people do not want to die and that Iran would need to proceed carefully to avoid further losses. The remarks come amid an ongoing US-Iran conflict that has involved casualties and shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, with some social media users criticizing the repetition of similar statements.
Why the Iran-US ceasefire is falling apart Iran and the US have resumed fighting because they don’t see each other as ‘reliable negotiating partners’, says analyst Ali Vaez. Neither Iran nor the United States seems able to deliver a “knockout blow at an acceptable price” to the other side, and both know “they have no choice other than engaging in diplomacy”, but they’re not ready to make uncomfortable concessions, argues Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at International Crisis Group.
Vaez tells host Steve Clemons that Tehran and Washington are trying to “enforce their own interpretation” of the ceasefire agreement they signed last month. President Trump has become “frustrated” with diplomacy because he’s not seeing “the kind of quick results that he likes to see”, Vaez says.