by WorldTribune Staff, April 12, 2026 Non-AI Real World News
The USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier that led the blockade of Venezuelan oil, is now in the Persian Gulf where it joins the USS Abraham Lincoln and other major American naval assets.
President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that he is proceeding with a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. More than 80 percent of the oil flowing through that choke point is destined for Asia, mainly China.
During talks in Islamabad, Iran rejected U.S. demands to end uranium enrichment and dismantle major enrichment facilities. Teheran also rejected calls to end funding for Hamas, Hizbullah and the Houthis, and to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
After talks in Islamabad ended, Trump wrote in a post to Truth Social:
“So, there you have it, the meeting went well, most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not. Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.
“At some point, we will reach an ‘ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT’ basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen by merely saying, ‘There may be a mine out there somewhere,’ that nobody knows about but them. THIS IS WORLD EXTORTION, and Leaders of Countries, especially the United States of America, will never be extorted.
“I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas. We will also begin destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the Straits. Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!
“Iran knows, better than anyone, how to END this situation which has already devastated their Country. Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti Aircraft and Radar are useless, Khamenei, and most of their ‘Leaders,’ are dead, all because of their Nuclear ambition.
“The Blockade will begin shortly. Other Countries will be involved with this Blockade. Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION. They want money and, more importantly, they want Nuclear. Additionally and, at an appropriate moment, we are fully ‘LOCKED AND LOADED,’ and our Military will finish up the little that is left of Iran! President DONALD J. TRUMP”.
Vice President JD Vance left Pakistan late Saturday without a deal with Iran and declared that the United States had offered its “final and best offer.”
Trump wrote on Truth Social:
Iran promised to open the Strait of Hormuz, and they knowingly failed to do so. This caused anxiety, dislocation, and pain to many people and Countries throughout the World. They say they put mines in the water, even though all of their Navy, and most of their “mine droppers,” have been completely blown up. They may have done so, but what ship owner would want to take the chance? There is great dishonor and permanent harm to the reputation of Iran, and what’s left of their “Leaders,” but we are beyond all of that. As they promised, they better begin the process of getting this INTERNATIONAL WATERWAY OPEN AND FAST! Every Law in the book is being violated by them. I have been fully debriefed by Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, on the meeting that took place in Islamabad through the kind and very competent leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan. They are very extraordinary men, and continuously thank me for saving 30 to 50 million lives in what would have been a horrendous War with India. I always appreciate hearing that — The amount of Humanity spoken of is incomprehensible.
The meeting with Iran began early in the morning, and lasted throughout the night — Close to 20 hours. I could go into great detail, and talk about much that has been gotten but, there is only one thing that matters — IRAN IS UNWILLING TO GIVE UP ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS! In many ways, the points that were agreed to are better than us continuing our Military Operations to conclusion, but all of those points don’t matter compared to allowing Nuclear Power to be in the hands of such volatile, difficult, unpredictable people. My three Representatives, as all of this time went by, became, not surprisingly, very friendly and respectful of Iran’s Representatives, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Abbas Araghchi, and Ali Bagheri, but that doesn’t matter because they were very unyielding as to the single most important issue and, as I have always said, right from the beginning, and many years ago, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!
The Trump Administration already prepared multiple options if Iran refused Trump’s final offer.
The idea of a naval blockade was first suggested last week by retired Gen. Jack Keane, one of the nation’s top military strategists.
“If the war resumes and after we degrade Iran’s remaining military assets sufficiently, the U.S. military could choose to occupy Kharg — or to destroy it,” Keane wrote it a New York Post column. “Alternatively, the U.S. Navy could set up a blockade, shutting down Teheran’s export lifeline. If we preserve Kharg’s infrastructure but take physical control, we’d have a chokehold over Iran’s oil and its economy. That’s the ultimate leverage we’d need to seize its ‘nuclear dust,’ or stores of enriched uranium, and to eliminate its enrichment facilities.”
Trump also slammed legacy media outlets, writing on Truth Social:
The Fake News Media has lost total credibility, not that they had any to begin with. Because of their massive Trump Derangement Syndrome (Sometimes referred to as TDS!), they love saying that Iran is “winning” when, in fact, everyone knows that they are LOSING, and LOSING BIG! Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti Aircraft apparatus is nonexistent, Radar is dead, their Missile and Drone Factories have been largely obliterated along with the Missiles and Drones themselves and, most importantly, their longtime “Leaders” are no longer with us, praise be to Allah!
The only thing they have going is the threat that a ship may “bunk” into one of their sea mines which, by the way, all 28 of their mine dropper boats are also lying at the bottom of the sea. We’re now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a favor to Countries all over the World, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others. Incredibly, they don’t have the Courage or Will to do this work themselves. Very interestingly, however, empty Oil carrying ships from many Nations are all heading to the United States of America to LOAD UP with Oil. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP
— Avi Avidan (@avavidan) April 11, 2026
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Trump card: U.S. conducts own blockade; Oil through Hormuz Strait flows East, critical for China added by Editor Two on
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