Trump mulls new ‘limited strikes’ on Iran as looming naval blockade sends oil above $100: LIVE UPDATES
President Donald Trump has not ruled out resuming “limited” strikes against Iran after ordering a naval blockade and threatening to deny “safe passage” to any ships that have complied with Tehran’s fees and rules for transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The US president could also resume a “full-fledged bombing campaign,” though officials told the Wall Street Journal that option was “less likely.”
Global oil prices have surged above $100 after the US Department of War announced that American forces will begin enforcing a blockade on all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports from 10 am ET (2 pm GMT) on April 13. The move falls short of Trump’s original threat to block “any and all” ships trying to enter or leave the strait.
Americans should “enjoy” current prices at the pump, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned, adding that “soon you’ll be nostalgic for $4–$5 gas.”
Iran has warned that any hostile military activity in the waterway will be met with force, even as President Masoud Pezeshkian has said a deal would still be possible if Washington abandoned its “totalitarianism.”
Key developments:
- US Central Command said the blockade would apply to vessels of all nations calling at Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, but insisted that it would not impede freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz for ships travelling to and from non-Iranian ports.
- After the collapse of marathon 21-hour negotiations in Islamabad, Vice President J.D. Vance said Washington had left Pakistan with its “final and best offer” still on the table, while Tehran said the process broke down because of “excessive” or “unreasonable” American demands.
- Washington has framed the impasse around its demand for a binding commitment that Iran not pursue a nuclear weapon, while Iranian officials say the US tried to win at the negotiating table what it failed to secure during the war.
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Islamabad talks came within “inches” of reaching a memorandum of understanding before the process was derailed by “maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade.”
Follow our live coverage below for continuous updates. You can also read our previous updates here.
13 April 2026
02:31 GMTThe United States has “much more oil than Russia and Saudi Arabia put together”, and other countries are now sending their tankers to purchase American crude, President Trump has claimed.
“There are many boats heading toward our country to fill up with oil ... they’re not going to go through the Hormuz Strait. Ultimately, that’ll be corrected. But in the meantime, they’re using us,” he said. “Because of Drill Baby Drill, we have more oil than Russia and Saudi Arabia put together.”
American benchmark WTI crude soared to nearly $105 after Asian markets opened on Wednesday, while the international Brent benchmark traded at more than $102 a barrel.
- 02:00 GMT
President Trump has renewed his criticism of NATO, saying the bloc failed to help the US in its war with Iran, and dismissing its alleged late effort to show support now that “there’s no real threat anymore.”
“I’m very disappointed in NATO. They weren’t there for us. We pay trillions of dollars for NATO, and they weren’t there for us,” Trump told reporters. “Now they want to come up, but there’s no real threat anymore.”
“We spent trillions of dollars on NATO ... to help them guard really against Russia. When you think of it, we’re guarding against Russia. I’ve long thought it was a little ridiculous,” he added.
Trump said the issue would now be “under very serious examination.” His meeting with Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday reportedly “went sh*t”, with the US leader allegedly unleashing a “tirade of insults” at European NATO members and threatening “to do just about anything”, according to Politico.
- 01:44 GMT
The US president said he was unconcerned about whether Iran returned to negotiations after the failed Islamabad round, arguing that Tehran had already been badly weakened and accusing it of breaking its word on the Strait of Hormuz.
“Oh, I don’t know. I don’t care if they come back or not. If they don’t come back, I’m fine,” Trump said, reiterating yet again his claim that Iran’s military, leadership and industrial capacity have been destroyed.
“We’ve been very nice. We haven’t ripped down too many bridges,” he said, claiming that Washington has shown restraint so far.
Trump also accused Tehran of failing to honor an alleged “promise” to reopen the waterway. “Their promise was that they were going to open the Hormuz Strait. They didn’t do it. They lied,” he said.
.@POTUS on negotiations with Iran: "I don't care if they come back or not. If they don't come back, I'm fine." pic.twitter.com/iQEV428A6F
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 13, 2026 - 01:36 GMT
President Donald Trump has presented the US naval blockade due to begin on Monday as the next step in Washington’s effort to choke off Iranian oil sales.
“As you know, at 10 o’clock tomorrow, we have a blockade going into effect,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews. “Other nations are working so that Iran will not be able to sell oil. And that would be very effective.”
.@POTUS: "At 10a tomorrow, we have a blockade going into effect — that'll be 10a tomorrow. Other nations are working, so that Iran will not be able to sell oil and that will be very effective." pic.twitter.com/gNdAkW60Z8
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 13, 2026 - 01:22 GMT
President Trump has sharply escalated his public clash with Pope Leo, attacking the pontiff as “WEAK on Crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy” in a lengthy post on Truth Social that touched on Iran, Venezuela, COVID-era church restrictions and the Pope’s criticism of the administration.
The outburst comes days after Leo condemned Trump’s threat against Iran as “truly unacceptable” and denounced the “delusion of omnipotence” driving the war.
Trump accused Leo of being soft on Iran and hostile to his foreign policy, while claiming the Pope’s rise was tied to his own return to the White House.
- 01:14 GMT
The UK will not take part in President Trump’s planned blockade of Iran-linked vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, but will instead focus on maintaining freedom of navigation, a government spokesman said, insisting that the waterway “must not be subject to tolling.”
“We continue to support freedom of navigation and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, which is urgently needed to support the global economy and the cost of living back home,” the spokesman told multiple media outlets.
In an interview with Fox News earlier on Sunday, Trump renewed his criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, comparing him to Neville Chamberlain, the former British prime minister associated with pre-World War II appeasement, and dismissing his offer to send military equipment after the conflict, saying such support is needed “before the war starts or during the war.”
- 00:59 GMT
The Israeli military says two soldiers from the 98th Division were moderately injured on Sunday in southern Lebanon after a Hezbollah rocket strike. According to the IDF, both were hurt by the blast wave from the impact, evacuated to hospital, and their families were informed.
- 00:46 GMT
Hezbollah says it carried out 43 attacks on Israeli positions in southern Lebanon and northern Israel on Sunday, using rockets, drones and other weapons against troops, bases and border positions. According to the group’s account, the targets included Israeli forces in and around Khiam, Biyyada, Bint Jbeil, Taybeh and Shama in southern Lebanon, as well as positions near Kiryat Shmona, Margaliot, Avivim, Metula and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights. The group also said it struck a number of Israeli barracks and bases, including Al-Aliqah, Beit Hillel, Mount Neria, Filon, Yiftah and Dishon.
- 00:25 GMT
Open-source flight-tracking accounts on X are reporting a fresh wave of US Air Force cargo aircraft heading toward the Middle East late on Sunday, suggesting Washington may still be moving personnel and materiel into the region after the failed Pakistan talks and the new blockade announcement. The claims have not been formally confirmed by the Pentagon.
3 carrier strike groups All assets still in theater Non stop resupply trains CENTCOM Chief coming to Israel Some call it a ceasefire. Carrier strike groups call it a reload pause. https://t.co/wNZfBtHCie
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) April 12, 2026 - 00:16 GMT
Two million barrels of Iranian crude oil were reportedly delivered to India by a National Iranian Tanker Company supertanker, the VLCC FELICITY, on Sunday, marking the first such shipment in seven years following a US sanctions waiver, according to TankerTrackers.com.
India’s shipping ministry granted special permission two days earlier to four vessels carrying Iranian oil at the request of Reliance Industries, operator of the world’s largest refining complex, according to a Reuters report. Those approved include the tankers FELICITY and HEDY, as well as the aframax KAVIZ and VLCC LENORE, each capable of carrying up to 2 million barrels of oil.
Additional shipments totaling several million barrels are expected to arrive in the coming days, the monitoring group said.
For the first time in seven years, a National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) VLCC supertanker named FELICITY (9183934) has brought in two million barrels of Iranian crude oil to India following a sanctions waiver issued by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The… pic.twitter.com/aHdNUeC4h8
— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) April 12, 2026
