Washington is moving to blockade Iran's ports.. and the Revolutionary Guards threaten a "deadly spiral"

The U.S. Central Command has announced its intention to begin imposing a naval blockade on Iran's ports as President Donald Trump considers launching limited strikes following the failure of talks in Islamabad, and in return, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has vowed a "deadly spiral" in the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. takes escalatory steps, stressing that any wrong move will be met with a firm response.

Zero Hour

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said U.S. forces would begin at 10:00 a.m. Washington time (14:00 GMT) on Monday, imposing control over all ships entering and exiting Iranian ports, stressing that ships not heading to Iran would allow them to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

The move comes after US President Donald Trump announced the prosecution of all ships that pay fees to Iran, as part of what he described as an attempt to "stop Iranian funding" after the failure of the Islamabad negotiations.

Iran Responds: We Have Pressure Cards

On the other hand, Tehran has stepped up its rhetoric, with the military adviser to the Iranian leader, Mohsen Rezaei, stressing that his country "will not allow" the implementation of the blockade, noting that Iran has "large untapped pressure cards" that can be used if necessary.

A spokesman for Iran's Armed Forces Unified Command (KF) said that "port security in the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is either for everyone or not for everyone," referring to possible countermeasures that could include disrupting navigation in the region.

In an additional warning, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that any military ships approaching the Strait of Hormuz would be considered a violation of the ceasefire and would be dealt with "strictly and decisively."

International Conference on Hormuz in Days

In the midst of the escalation, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France and Britain would organize an international conference in the coming days to discuss the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, with the aim of forming a multinational mission of a peaceful nature to restore freedom of navigation.

Macron said the mission would be "purely defensive" and separate from the parties to the conflict, stressing the need to intensify diplomatic efforts to reach a lasting settlement in the Middle East.

Britain: We will not participate in the blockade and will not be dragged into war

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that his country would not be dragged into a war with Iran no matter what pressure, and that it "does not support" the blockade of Iranian ports, following US President Donald Trump's launch of a naval operation to control the Strait of Hormuz after Islamabad negotiations failed to reach a deal with Iran.

Starmer  told BBC Radio 5 Live that the reopening of the strait is crucial, saying: "I think it's necessary to fully open the strait, and that's what we've focused our efforts on over the past period, and we'll continue to work on that."

He explained that Britain's response is focused on opening the Strait of Hormuz because "this is how we bring down energy prices as quickly as we can."

Asked if he held US President Donald Trump personally responsible for the impact on Britain's energy bills, Starmer did not respond directly.

The British prime minister stressed that the "most important thing" he can do is bring countries together to call for a de-escalation of the situation and the opening of the strait, adding that "it is Iran that has caused the restriction of traffic across the Gulf" and that "Britain will not be dragged into war."

An open scene to multiple possibilities

Analysts say a direct confrontation between Washington and Tehran in the strait could push the region into an unprecedented phase of instability, especially with Iran's repeated threats to close the strait if it is prevented from using it.

The U.S. announcement of the blockade has sparked widespread concerns in energy markets, with oil prices immediately soaring amid expectations that any disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of global oil trade passes, could lead to a new wave of economic pressures globally.

The region remains facing a sensitive phase that could determine the shape of the balances in the Gulf in the coming period, amid fears that any miscalculation could lead to a large-scale confrontation.