The United States resumed its naval blockade of Iranian ports and coastal areas at 4pm Eastern Time on July 14, with US Central Command announcing enforcement against “all vessel traffic” heading to or from Iranian shores — a move that Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said had “in a way, dismantled the Islamabad memorandum of understanding” (CNN; ABC News; Al Jazeera).
Gharibabadi said there are “currently no obligations under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding that remain valid and in force for either side.” The declaration followed Trump’s announcement on July 13 that the naval blockade would resume; CENTCOM carried out the enforcement order the following afternoon, alongside a separate round of precision strikes against Iranian missile, drone, and coastal defence installations in a seven-hour wave beginning at 10pm ET.
The blockade covers all Iranian ports and oil terminals and applies to all vessel traffic regardless of flag. Ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations will not be impeded, CENTCOM said — a distinction that limits the direct chokepoint but leaves Iran’s export capacity under total interdiction.
What this means for Pakistan
Pakistan co-facilitated the June 18 Islamabad MoU alongside Qatar and Oman. The agreement, which set a 60-day timeline to negotiate an agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions relief, has been under strain since at least July 3 when the ceasefire collapsed in practice. Iran’s formal declaration that the MoU is void transforms a fraying agreement into a dead one.
Islamabad now faces three simultaneous pressures. First, its mediator role — which gave Pakistan significant diplomatic capital with both Washington and the Gulf states — loses its institutional anchor if there is no agreement to facilitate. The question of whether Pakistan can convene a fourth round of talks without a live MoU has no established answer. Second, Pakistan’s direct economic exposure through energy imports intensifies: every day of Iranian port blockade is a day of continued LNG and oil import price pressure, compounding the record Rs310.71/litre petrol price that took effect on July 11. Third, the US-Pakistan relationship — which has been materially improved by Pakistan’s mediator role — becomes more difficult to sustain if there is nothing left to mediate.
Al Jazeera reported separately that Pakistan, Qatar and Oman are attempting to bring both sides back to the table, with diplomats describing the effort as “still active” despite Tehran’s MoU declaration. The precise legal status of any resumed talks — whether they occur under the voided June 18 framework or require a new instrument — is unclear.
The blockade and the Hormuz toll
The blockade resumption came the same day Trump walked back his Monday announcement that all commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz would be charged a 20% toll. Trump said on Truth Social that he would replace the fee with “trade and investment deals” from Gulf states — a reversal driven by pushback from maritime lawyers and US allies who said the toll violated international law and would trigger an oil price shock. The toll reversal removes one pressure point but does not alter the blockade’s enforcement against Iranian ports.
