The U.S. blockade of Iranian ports is now fully into effect, “completely” cutting off Tehran’s international sea trade that powers about 90% of its economy, the U.S. Central Command said late on Tuesday, April 14.

 

The U.S. has fully implemented a blockade of Iran’s ports and ships, the military’s Central Command division said in a statement on Tuesday.

 

The move comes less than three days after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a blockade against Iran, likely aimed at further pressuring Tehran into a ceasefire deal.

 

“A blockade of Iranian ports has been fully implemented… U.S. forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea,” Central Command said in a social media post.

 

Trump had ordered the blockade, effective Monday morning, after weekend ceasefire talks with Tehran largely fell through. But Washington indicated that more talks may be on tap, especially with a tenuous two-week ceasefire set to end next week.

 

The U.S. blockade, however, could complicate ceasefire negotiations, and could also herald more shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump sees the Iran war as being close to ending, Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo said on Tuesday evening after an interview with the president in the White House.

 

“I think it’s close to over… I mean I view it as very close to over,” Trump told Bartiromo, the Fox Business anchor said in a social media post.

 

Trump had earlier on Tuesday told the New York post that he expects U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks to resume in the next two days, after weekend talks in Pakistan largely fell through.