Bisent stated on the “X” platform: “The US Navy will continue to blockade Iranian ports. Within days, Kharg Island’s storage will be full, and Iran’s fragile oil wells will be shut down. Restricting Iranian maritime trade directly targets the regime’s main sources of income.
He added: “The US Treasury will continue to apply maximum pressure through the economic fury program to systematically undermine Tehran’s ability to generate, transfer, and repatriate money. Anyone or any ship facilitating these flows through clandestine trade and finance exposes themselves to the risk of US sanctions.”
Earlier, US President Donald announced an extension of the ceasefire towards Iran until Iran presents its proposal and the discussions conclude one way or another. The US President said in a statement on the “Truth Social” platform: “Given the sharp division within the Iranian government, which is expected, and at the request of Marshal Asim Munir and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, we were asked to suspend our attack until their leaders and representatives present a unified proposal.”
US President Donald Trump also announced the continuation of the blockade on Iranian ports, despite Washington agreeing to postpone strikes on Iran. Trump wrote on the social networking platform “Truth Social”: “I have directed our armed forces to continue the blockade.”
On April 8, Iran and the United States reached an agreement for a two-week ceasefire following a military escalation that lasted about 40 days, which included extensive attacks on sites inside Iran resulting in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior officials, along with about 3,500 people. In response, Tehran launched missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US military installations in the Middle East.
On April 11, a round of talks was held in Islamabad aimed at reaching a permanent ceasefire and resolving the conflict, but it ended with little progress amid disagreements over Tehran’s desire to control the Strait of Hormuz and its refusal to give up its stock of enriched uranium. Subsequently, on April 13, Washington announced a maritime blockade on Iranian ports on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of global shipments of oil, derivatives, and liquefied natural gas pass.
