Middle East War Day 45: US Blocks Iranian Ports, Tehran Rejects - Latest Developments at a Glance

On the 45th day of the Middle East conflict, the United States implemented a blockade of Iranian ports. US President Donald Trump stated that Iranian authorities had called seeking a deal. Iran condemned the US blockade as a 'severe violation of sovereignty' and 'piracy.' Negotiations between the US and Iran over the weekend failed. Trump announced the blockade of all Iranian ports would begin at 14:00 GMT on the 13th (22:00 Taiwan time on the 13th), allowing only non-Iran-bound vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also claimed 34 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a record since the war began, though this data is unconfirmed. The Israeli military attacked approximately 150 Hezbollah targets, including military facilities, anti-tank missile launch sites, and terror command centers, in southern Lebanon within 24 hours. Israel is scheduled to hold peace talks with Lebanese officials in Washington on the 14th. Iran's military declared the US naval blockade illegal and equivalent to 'piracy,' warning that if Iranian ports are threatened, Gulf region ports will also be unsafe. Since the war began in late February, Iran has controlled the Strait of Hormuz, requiring non-hostile vessels to pay transit fees to Tehran. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol stated that the energy market and economy in April could be more challenging than in March, noting that March's regional cargo was loaded before the crisis, but no cargo was loaded throughout April. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif indicated that the ceasefire between the US and Iran is 'holding' and efforts are ongoing to resolve the conflict. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez affirmed that under international law, no country has the right to impede innocent passage and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem urged Lebanon to cancel the Washington meeting with Israel, reiterating the organization's refusal for direct negotiations. Hezbollah has been engaged in conflict with Israel since March 2. Pope Leo XIV called for an end to the Middle East conflict. Trump criticized the Pope's foreign policy as poor and stated he had no need to apologize, saying, 'Some things Leo XIV said were wrong. He was very much against what I was doing on Iran, and you can't let Iran have nuclear weapons.' Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, typically allied with Trump, issued a rare statement of rebuttal, saying, 'I find President Trump's comments about the Pope unacceptable. The Pope is the leader of the Catholic Church, and it is natural for him to call for peace and condemn all forms of war.'