Iran accuses US of ‘piracy’ after ‘illegal’ threat to blockade ports

• Iran has accused the United States of 'piracy' following US threats to impose a blockade on Iranian ports, which were scheduled to begin on Monday.
• The accusations emerged after negotiations between the two nations in Islamabad collapsed over the weekend, leading to heightened tensions.
• Ebrahim Zolfagheri, a spokesperson for the Iranian armed forces, stated that US restrictions on maritime navigation in international waters are illegal and constitute an act of piracy.
• The US Central Command announced that the blockade targeting Iranian ports would commence on Monday at 10am EDT (3pm BST).
• Despite the impending blockade on Iranian ports, the US clarified that it would not impede the passage of vessels through the vital Strait of Hormuz or restrict the movement of ships departing from non-Iranian ports.

IN FULL

Iran-US war latest: US threat to blockade Strait of Hormuz ‘amounts to piracy’ and violates ceasefire, warns Tehran