Saudi Arabia Urges US to End Blockade on Iran

The latest development comes after US President Donald Trump indicated he would not accept an earlier version, sources close to the mediation process told CNN. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates said it will withdraw from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), in a blow to the cartel of major oil-producing nations and its leading member, Saudi Arabia.

Still, the latest shipping data shows that most vessels that have transited the Strait of Hormuz in recent days have taken the route designated by Iranian authorities, and about half of them loaded their cargoes at Iranian ports in defiance of the US blockade. Iran’s ports are typically far from the busiest in the Persian Gulf, and the ports of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates usually have much higher traffic.

Trump has said that other countries would be involved in blockading the strait, but did not say which ones. According to a State Department cable seen by Reuters, the US has invited partner countries to join a new coalition called Maritime Freedom Construct to enable ships to navigate the strait once the conflict is over. Additional reporting by Barbara Metzler, Frank Gardner, Dearbail Jordan, Joshua Cheetham and Shruti Menon ... Follow the twists and turns of Trump's second term with North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher's weekly US Politics Unspun newsletter.

It has imposed a blockade of its own, in the Persian Gulf, that has prevented Arab states from risking sailing their tankers through the straits. The president on Wednesday publicly rejected Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the strait and end the war. Iran offered to delay negotiations over the nuclear issues until later, but Mr. Trump told aides this week that he was not satisfied with that option, believing that the blockade is the most effective leverage the United States holds if the ultimate goal is to get Iran to ship its 11 tons of enriched uranium out of the country and to halt all nuclear activity for a number of years.

Reports say the president has instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran’s ports in a bid to force Tehran to capitulate

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No vessels attempted to breach the blockade, while six commercial ships complied with orders and were redirected back to Iranian ports. CENTCOM added that "The blockade ​will 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.

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The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, pictured earlier in April, is one of the vessels that has taken part in the blockade operation ... Pete Hegseth faces a second day of interrogation in House Armed Services Committee hearing, this time in the Senate · Here is a selection of updates from or concerning the conflict between Iran, Israel and the US on April 30, 2026. Skip next section In depth — Why UAE's OPEC exit is a blow to Saudi Arabia