A Reuters image on March 11, 2026, showed cargo ships clustered near the Strait of Hormuz as tensions in the region continue to rise. In Dubai, the head of Iran’s joint military command warned Tehran could stop Gulf trade if the United States does not lift a naval blockade of Iranian ports.
President Donald Trump said in an interview the war with Iran was “very close to over.” Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced plans to increase economic pressure by imposing secondary sanctions on financial institutions that do business with Tehran, calling the measures the “financial equivalent” of a bombing campaign.
Diplomats reported progress toward extending a U.S.-Iran ceasefire and said another round of negotiations is expected, though a senior U.S. official cautioned Washington has not formally agreed to extend the truce. A Pakistani delegation has arrived in Tehran as part of ongoing diplomatic outreach.
Fighting and military operations elsewhere in the region continued. Israel pressed aerial and ground actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon a day after the two sides held their first direct talks in decades.
Developments through the day:
– China urged Iran to guarantee freedom and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in a phone call — Beijing’s first public appeal of that nature since Iran began restricting the waterway.
– Hopes for a wider Middle East deal increased as Israel discussed a possible ceasefire in Lebanon. Israel’s Cabinet met to consider a truce more than six weeks into fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah. U.S. officials said leaders would hold talks, and Lebanese sources indicated a ceasefire could be announced soon.
– Nepali ship captain Amrit Jha, who was detained by Iranian authorities while transporting fuel between Dubai and Iran, was released by court order. Reports said he had been taken into custody from Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz.
– U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper said the blockade had been fully implemented: no vessels passed U.S. forces during the first 48 hours, and 10 ships were ordered to turn back toward Iranian ports or coast.
– Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif briefed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Islamabad’s efforts to ease U.S.-Iran tensions and assured Saudi support during a visit to the Kingdom.
– A U.S. official said President Trump would welcome an end to the Israel-Hezbollah fighting as part of a broader Israel-Lebanon agreement, but noted a truce with Hezbollah is not part of the U.S.-Iran negotiations.
– Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said operations are focused on the strategic southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil and ordered forces to widen the security zone in south Lebanon, pushing eastward to expand control.
The situation remains fluid, with diplomatic efforts continuing amid heightened military activity and economic pressure from multiple directions.
