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Iran FM's statement comes after the US Central Command announced that the United States forces would begin implementing the blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports at 10 am ET on 13 April.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi(REUTERS)Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Monday that Tehran was just ‘inches away’ from an agreement with the United states during the weekend talks wit in Islamabad, Pakistan when it was faced with maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade.
"Iran engaged with US in good faith to end war," he said in a post on X, hours after the US Central Command announced that the United States forces would begin implementing the blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports at 10 am ET (7.30 PM IST) on 13 April.
"But when just inches away from "Islamabad MoU", we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade. Zero lessons earned Good will begets good will. Enmity begets enmity," Araghchi said in the post.
CENTCOM said in the statement that the blockade would be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.”
The CENTCOM announcement comes hours after President Donald Trump announced the blockade and claimed that other countries will also be involved in enforcing it escalating tensions with Iran after talks failed to resolve disputes over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
CENTCOM is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defence. Its area of responsibility includes the Middle East (including Egypt in Africa), Central Asia and parts of South Asia.
President Trump claimed that Iran did agree to the most crucial part of negotiations, which was to give up its nuclear ambitions, Trump said that Iran has laid out mines in the Strait of Hormuz and is “extorting” countries through it.
No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.
"No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas," Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding: "Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!"
The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil transit chokepoints, has been at the center of rising tensions. Trump accused Iran of failing to uphold assurances to keep the route open, stating: “Iran promised to open the Strait of Hormuz, and they knowingly failed to do so.”
About the Author
Gulam Jeelani
Gulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.<br><br> Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.<br><br> Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.<br><br> Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.<br><br> Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.
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