Starmer and Macron to chair leaders’ meeting on Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump on Monday warned that any Iranian vessels approaching the US naval blockade ‌of Iranian ​ports would be immediately destroyed.

“If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he had low expectations for the US-Iran talks held over the weekend in Islamabad.

“I wasn’t surprised by the decision to break off the talks in Islamabad. From the outset, I didn’t get the impression that the talks were particularly well-prepared,” Merz said on Monday.

“This will remain a long-term process and we will continue to feel the consequences of this war for a long time to come, even after it is over,” he added.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said maritime access restrictions affecting Iranian ports and coastal areas came into force at 1400 UTC on April 13, 2026.

The advisory said the measures apply to vessels of all flags engaging with Iranian ports, oil terminals, or coastal facilities, and encompass the entirety of Iran’s coastline, including energy infrastructure.

UKMTO said formal details, including enforcement provisions and exemptions, would be issued through official Notices to Mariners.

Transit through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations has not been reported to be impeded, although vessels may encounter military presence, directed communications, or right-of-visit procedures during passage, the advisory added.

Neutral vessels currently within Iranian ports have been granted a limited grace period to depart, UKMTO said.

Mariners operating in the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, and adjacent waters were advised to maintain heightened situational awareness, ensure maximum bridge readiness, and exercise caution in bridge-to-bridge VHF communications.

Indian tankers transiting through the Strait of Hormuz did not pay tolls to Iran, Tehran’s ambassador to New Delhi said on Monday, after US President Donald Trump vowed to block passage for vessels making payments to Iran.

“You can ask the Indian government if we have charged anything up to now,” Ambassador Mohammad Fathali told reporters at a briefing at Iran’s embassy.

“In this difficult time, we have good relations. We believe Iran and India share common interests and a common fate,” he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the ceasefire between Iran and the United States “could turn on a dime.”

Netanyahu said US Vice President JD Vance briefed him while returning from talks with Iran in Pakistan. He said Washington objected to what he described as Iran’s violation of the agreement.

“The agreement was that they would stop the fire, and the Iranians would immediately open the Strait (of Hormuz) — they did not do so. The Americans could not accept this,” Netanyahu said.

He added that Vance told him the central US objective was “removing all enriched material and ensuring that there will be no enrichment in the coming years — possibly for decades — no enrichment inside Iran.”

Netanyahu also voiced support for US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.