US says Iran port blockade targets ships of all nations

The US Central Command said the blockade on Iranian ports is being enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or leaving coastal areas or ports in Iran. 

It said US Navy guided-missile destroyers are among the assets executing the blockade against Iranian ports.

“A typical destroyer has a crew of more than 300 Sailors that are highly trained in conducting offensive and defensive maritime operations,” the statement added.

However, US President Donald Trump suggested that talks aimed at ending the war in Iran could resume this week, after negotiations collapsed over the weekend, prompting the US to impose a blockade on Iranian ports.

"You should stay there [Islamabad], really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we're more inclined to go there," Trump was quoted as saying in an interview with the New York Post.

His remarks came as the American military said no ships had passed through the US-enforced blockade of Iranian ports and coastal areas in the first 24 hours of the operation.