The Strait of Hormuz is set to be blocked effective tonight: Trump officially orders the interception of Iranian vessels, and oil prices surge past $102

U.S. President Trump officially announced the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on April 12, and the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) immediately issued a statement confirming that the blockade would take effect at 10:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Monday (10:00 p.m. in Taiwan on Monday). According to a CNBC report, oil prices surged on the news—Brent crude jumped nearly 7% to $102.26, and U.S. WTI crude rose to $96.57.

Blockade scope and implementation details

CENTCOM’s statement clearly specified the exact scope of the blockade: it targets all ships of all countries entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, covering the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Trump also said the U.S. Navy would “search for and intercept every ship that pays tolls to Iran” in international waters.

The key difference is that the U.S. military will not block ships transiting through the Strait of Hormuz to non-Iranian ports. This means that oil exports from Persian Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar are theoretically unaffected, but in practice, the militarization of the strait will increase the risk premium for all transiting vessels.

From hints to formal orders: Rapid escalation within 48 hours

The pace of events has been extremely fast. On April 11, Vance returned to the U.S. after 21 hours of talks in Islamabad that went nowhere. A few hours later, Trump reshared a maritime blockade analysis article hinting at the intent. Within less than 24 hours, a formal blockade order was issued. At the same time, Trump also threatened to impose an additional 50% tariff on China, accusing China of preparing to deliver Iran with air-defense weapons.

Peace talks led by Pakistan broke down over the nuclear issue— the U.S. side demanded that Iran commit to giving up nuclear weapons, and Iran refused. Trump’s response shifted from diplomacy to comprehensive economic and military pressure.

Oil prices top $100: Global energy crisis deepens

After the blockade order was released, energy markets immediately reacted. The Strait of Hormuz is the choke point for roughly 20% of global oil transport. Although the U.S. military’s statement applies only to Iranian-related ships, the shipping industry’s risk-avoidance behavior has already begun—multiple tanker companies have reported that vessels are starting to reroute.

Breaking through the $100 mark is a psychological threshold. Analysts warn that if the blockade continues for more than a few weeks, global inflation expectations will be forced higher, and central banks’ rate-cutting timelines may be pushed back again. That would hit all risk assets, from the stock market to cryptocurrencies.

Impact on the crypto market

After the blockade news, Bitcoin retreated to around $71,000. In the short term, rising geopolitical risk is unfavorable for risk assets. But it is worth noting that Strategy chose to add to its position against the trend by buying $1 billion worth of Bitcoin at this time, indicating that at least some institutional investors view the current situation as a long-term buying opportunity.

Going forward, the market will closely watch the implementation after the blockade formally takes effect on Monday (10:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time / 10:00 p.m. Taiwan time), Iran’s response, and whether oil prices climb further. Any escalation of military conflict or unexpected events could trigger sharp cross-market volatility.

This article Strait of Hormuz blockade takes effect tonight: Trump formally orders interception of Iranian ships, oil prices surge past $102 was first posted on Chain News ABMedia.