US President Donald Trump told aides to prepare for an extended Iran blockade, the Wall Street Journal reported, as Washington escalated pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program. The reported plan would continue restrictions on shipping to and from Iranian ports to weaken Tehran’s economy and curb oil exports, the Journal said, citing US officials.
Trump chose the blockade approach after weighing other options, including renewed bombing or stepping away from the conflict, according to the report. Officials said the decision followed recent discussions, including a Monday meeting in the White House Situation Room.
At a White House state dinner on Tuesday, Trump said Iran would not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. He said King Charles agreed with his position, although the British monarch did not mention Iran or the war in his own remarks.
Wall Street Journal reports that US President Trump tells aides to prepare for extended blockade of Iran.
Leone Lakhani has details from Washington, DC pic.twitter.com/hqbtwxUeV9
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) April 29, 2026US President Donald Trump told aides to prepare for a prolonged blockade of Iran, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Britain and the United States have long opposed Iran’s development of nuclear weapons. Tehran denies seeking nuclear arms and says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, including enrichment permitted under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday the Treasury Department had expanded sanctions targeting what he called Iran’s “shadow” financial and trade networks. He said the measures covered banking channels, cryptocurrency access, oil shipping fleets, weapons procurement networks and intermediary buyers of Iranian crude.
Bessent said Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export terminal, was nearing storage capacity, which could force production cuts and cost Tehran about $170 million a day in lost revenue.
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said Tuesday he held talks with US State Department official Christopher Yeaw on Iran, nuclear safety in Ukraine and broader non-proliferation issues.
Read: Trump Approval Rating Falls to 34% in Reuters Poll
Iran’s government spokeswoman said Tuesday there was “no problem” in Tehran’s decision-making process for talks with the United States, while monitoring group NetBlocks said Iran’s internet restrictions had entered their 60th day.
