Revolutionary Guards Issue Warning Over Naval Blockade Of Iranian Ports
Two days after the United States began a naval blockade of Iranian ports, a senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) warned that its continuation would constitute a “violation of the cease-fire.”
Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters -- a central command coordinating Iran’s armed forces -- said in a statement carried by Iranian media on April 15 that if the blockade continues, “the armed forces of the Islamic republic will not allow any exports or imports in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Red Sea.”
The statement did not provide further details about potential actions.
The warning comes as IRGC-linked media have reported that Iranian ships and oil tankers have continued moving and passing through the Strait of Hormuz since the blockade began.
The US military, however, says it has "completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea" since the blockade began on April 13.
Report: Pentagon Sends Thousands More Troops To Middle East
The Pentagon is deploying thousands of additional troops to the Middle East as the Trump administration seeks to pressure Iran into a deal while preparing for possible escalation if a fragile cease-fire collapses, The Washington Post reports.
The buildup is said to include about 6,000 personnel aboard the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier and more than 4,000 Marines with the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, adding to roughly 50,000 US troops who are already in the region.
The reinforcements would bring three aircraft carriers into theater, expanding military options as Washington enforces a maritime blockade aimed at squeezing Iran economically and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Officials said commanders are also considering scenarios ranging from intensified strikes to ground operations.
According to the Post, analysts warn that the deployment increases pressure on Tehran but carries risks, including potential US casualties and a broader regional escalation if diplomacy fails.
Trump Says Peace Talks Could Resume Soon As US Military Chokes Iran's Maritime Trade
US President Donald Trump suggested that peace talks with Iran could resume in a day or two as the US military chokes off the country's maritime trade in a move to get Tehran to the negotiating table.
Trump ordered a naval blockade targeting vessels headed to or from Iranian ports after US-Iranian peace talks in Islamabad on April 11-12 failed to produce an agreement to end the war, which began with US and Israeli air strikes on Iran on February 28.
In comments to the New York Post on April 14, he indicated that negotiators could meet again in the next couple of days.
"You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we're more inclined to go there [than to another location]," an Islamabad-datelined story in the Post quoted Trump as saying.
The clock is ticking on a two-week cease-fire agreed by the United States and Iran on April 7 and Trump said later in an interview that he has no plans to extend the deal.
"It could end either way, but I think a deal is preferable because then they can rebuild," Trump told ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl in an interview.
Pakistan is said to be seeking to facilitate a new round of talks while Vice President JD Vance, who led the US delegation in the first round, raised the prospect of further meetings by saying "a lot of progress" was made at the April 11-12 talks.
"The ball is in the Iranian court," according to Vance, who said disagreements over Iran's nuclear program ultimately ended the talks without an accord.
Read more here.
IDF Urges Evacuation As Strikes Continue in South Lebanon
Israel's military has issued a fresh evacuation order for residents of southern Lebanon as it pressed on with an offensive against Hezbollah -- a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, while the EU has blacklisted its armed wing.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on April 14 that “air strikes are ongoing” as its personnel are operating “with significant force in the area.”
“Therefore... we reiterate our urgent appeal for you to evacuate your homes immediately and head north of the Zahrani River," the IDF added.
The order is the first to be issued by Israel’s military since direct talks were held on April 13 in Washington between Lebanon and Israel's ambassadors to the United States.
It comes amid renewed fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, with both sides exchanging fire despite the ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Lebanese state media reported fatalities from Israeli air strikes in the south, while Israel said it was conducting “targeted ground operations” against Hezbollah positions.
The Iran-backed group claimed attacks on northern Israel, where about 30 projectiles were recorded and one person was injured.
With reporting by AFP and dpa
South Korea Says It Secured More Than 270 Million Barrels Of Oil Outside Hormuz To Reduce Supply Risk
South Korea has secured 273 million barrels of crude oil and 2.1 million tons of naphtha from Middle Eastern suppliers and Kazakhstan through the end of the year, routing deliveries outside the Strait of Hormuz to reduce disruption risks, according to a government official.
Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said on April 15 that the supplies, negotiated during a regional trip, would help stabilize domestic energy markets amid heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf.
Saudi Arabia will provide the bulk of crude, including shipments via Red Sea ports, while Kazakhstan and Oman will supply smaller volumes.
The secured oil would cover more than three months of demand under normal conditions, while imports of naphtha -- a refined petroleum product used to produce plastics and other petrochemicals -- amount to around one month’s supply.
The move comes as Seoul seeks to reduce its reliance on the Strait of Hormuz, which accounted for 61 percent of its crude oil imports and 54 percent of its naphtha imports last year, amid fears of potential disruption linked to the regional conflict.
Iran's Internet Blackout Enters 47th Day
The Netblocks Internet connectivity monitor says the digital blackout in Iran has now passed 1,104 hours, meaning that it has now entered its 47th day.
Iran Acquired Chinese Spy Satellite To Monitor US Bases, Says FT Report
Iran secretly acquired a Chinese-built spy satellite, giving it new capabilities to monitor and potentially target US military bases across the Middle East, the Financial Times reports.
Citing leaked Iranian military documents, the report said the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps obtained the TEE-01B satellite in 2024 and used it to track bases in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq and elsewhere, with imagery captured around the time of missile and drone strikes.
The satellite’s high-resolution capability marks a major upgrade over Iran’s domestic systems. Analysts say access to Chinese-operated ground stations allows Iran to operate the satellite globally, complicating efforts to disrupt it.
Reuters said it could not independently verify the report, and officials in Washington and Beijing declined to comment on the matter.
With reporting by Reuters
US CENTCOM Says Blockade Against Iranian Maritime Trade 'Fully Implemented'
US Central Command (CENTCOM) says a blockade of Iranian ports has been "fully implemented," cutting off vital trade for the country's economy.
"A blockade of Iranian ports has been fully implemented as US forces maintain maritime superiority in the Middle East," Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said in a post on X late on April 14. "In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, US forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea."
The US implemented the blockade after peace talks with Iran last weekend failed to reach a deal.
Earlier in the day, CENTCOM said that during the first 24 hours of the blockade, no ships made it out of the region, adding that six vessels complied with directions from US forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port after setting sail.
Russia Can Help China With Energy Supply Shortage Sparked By Iran War, Lavrov Tells Beijing
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Russia is able to make up for an energy shortage in China caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz during the US-Israeli war with Iran.
"Russia can, without a doubt, compensate for the shortfall in resources that has arisen" for China and "other countries that are interested in working with us," Russia's top diplomat told a news conference during a trip to Beijing on April 15.
A US naval blockade on ships entering Iranian ports and coastal areas took effect this week after peace talks between US and Iranian negotiators over the weekend failed to end the war, which began on February 28.
Trump Says He Has No Plans To Extend Cease-Fire With Iran
US President Donald Trump says he has no plans to extend the two-week cease-fire with Iran.
"It could end either way, but I think a deal is preferable because then they can rebuild," Trump told ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl in an interview late on April 14.
The two sides reached a deal to halt the war on April 7 to allow for peace talks that were held in Islamabad last weekend.
The April 11-12 negotiations failed to produce an agreement to end the war, which began with US and Israeli air strikes on Iran on February 28.
Earlier on April 14 Trump suggested that a new round of talks with Iran could resume in a day or two.