The blockade order is implemented, and the strait is in crisis! U.S.-Iran negotiations are still stuck in deadlock.

Mars Finance News: On April 14, the U.S. maritime blockade of Iran officially went into effect last night local time. More than 15 warships have been deployed, and the U.S. military has simultaneously begun intercepting ships entering and leaving the Strait of Hormuz. Trump claimed that 158 Iranian Navy vessels have been destroyed and warned that any “fast attack boats” approaching the blockade zone will be immediately eliminated. Meanwhile, shipping data shows that oil tankers are rerouting around the Strait of Hormuz on a large scale, and traffic in the strait has been disrupted again. The International Energy Agency confirmed that the Iran conflict has damaged more than 80 oil and gas facilities.

Iran responded firmly. The acting defense minister announced that the armed forces have entered the highest level of readiness, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that if the conflict continues, new operational methods will be used. Iran’s military also claimed that it will implement a “permanent mechanism to control the Strait of Hormuz,” and issued a warning: if the security of ports in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea is threatened, all port security in the region will be “either for everyone or for no one.” Regarding Trump’s blockade threat, the spokesperson for Iran’s Supreme National Security Council dismissed it as “bluster.”

Diplomatic mediation is advancing in parallel. U.S. and Iranian officials confirmed that negotiations are still ongoing, and the key point of disagreement is the duration of the uranium enrichment suspension— the U.S. is demanding 20 years, while Iran wants a shorter period. Russian media reported that the next round of talks may be held on the 16th in Islamabad, Pakistan, and Pakistan’s defense minister also said that there are still prospects for restarting negotiations. Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghtchi has spoken with Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov to coordinate on the latest situation. Of note, Iran’s deputy speaker revealed that Iran had been prepared to dilute 450 kilograms of enriched uranium as a gesture of goodwill.

On the Lebanon front, Israel has continued airstrikes on southern Lebanon, resulting in at least 7 deaths. The Israeli military also announced an expansion of its military operations, killing more than a hundred Hezbollah armed personnel, and seeking to establish a deeper security buffer zone. Israel’s Prime Minister said that a ceasefire with Iran “could end very soon,” openly supporting Trump’s blockade position. Hezbollah’s leadership stated that they will not disarm and will continue to resist. Lebanon’s foreign minister said that direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel have confirmed that the Lebanon issue and the Iran issue are mutually independent, and that both tracks will be advanced in parallel.