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The United States military has said that it will begin enforcing a naval blockade of Iranian Gulf ports from Monday, targeting maritime traffic linked to Iran. The US Central Command said that ships travelling to or from non-Iranian ports will still be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

The blockade is set to begin at 10 am Eastern Time, which is 7.30 pm Indian Standard Time, on Monday.

Oil prices surged in response, with Brent crude rising to $101.8 per barrel on Monday. The price was $78 per barrel on February 27, a day before the conflict started.

Here are more top updates from the conflict in West Asia:

• The US Central Command stated that the blockade would be enforced “impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas”, including those along the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It added that its forces “will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports”. The announcement came a day after US-Iran talks in Islamabad ended without an agreement to end the conflict in West Asia.
• On Sunday, US President Donald Trump had announced that the US Navy will blockade ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz....

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