Hormuz blockade begins: UKMTO issues red alert; what we know so far

Maritime monitor UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) on Monday issued a red-alert for the Persian Gulf region as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz imposed by US President Donald Trump comes into effect.

According to the alert, maritime access restrictions went into effect at 2 PM UTC (7:30 PM IST) on Monday, which will affect the "entirety of the Iranian coastline", including its ports, islands, and energy infrastructure, in addition to the wider Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, and parts of the Arabian Sea east of the strait.

"These access restrictions apply without distinction to vessels of any flag engaging with Iranian ports, oil terminals, or coastal facilities," the UKMTO said in a statement on Monday.

Trump's naval blockade order comes after the failure of 21-hour peace talks between the US and Iran on Sunday, aimed at ending the war in the Gulf, that has lasted for more than 40 days.

The naval blockade is to involve US Navy warships securing the area, and also de-mining the strait, in a bid to allegedly free it up.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), however, continues to maintain an iron grip over maritime activity in the embattled strait, and has warned the US of a "deadly vortex" there if the warships entered the area, violating the terms of the fragile ceasefire.

The UKMTO alert added that transit passage through the strait to or from non-Iranian destinations has not yet been affected, as per the latest reports available.

Still, it has warned that such vessels may also encounter military presence, directed communications, or right-of-visit procedures at any point within the region.

(More details are awaited.)