ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Thursday that a US naval blockade amounts to “an extension of military operations,” criticizing the measure and warning it is “intolerable” amid an ongoing ceasefire between the two sides.

On April 13, the US military announced that it would begin blocking sea traffic to Iranian ports after a tenuous round of peace talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement.

As of Thursday, US forces have directed 44 vessels back to their port of origin since the commencement of the blockade, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM), coming as Iranian restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz drive up global energy prices.

“The world has witnessed Iran’s tolerance and conciliation,” Pezeshkian wrote on X. "What is being done under the guise of a naval blockade is an extension of military operations against a nation paying the price for its resistance and independence."

Pezeshkian added that continuing this approach would not be accepted, reiterating that it crosses a line from pressure into direct confrontation.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said Thursday that new Iranian management of the Strait of Hormuz would bring “comfort and progress” to the region, describing it as part of a “new order” following what he called “America’s shameful failure.”

He framed recent developments as a turning point after weeks of conflict, saying the future of the Persian Gulf would be “without America” and serve regional prosperity.

His remarks came after US President Donald Trump said Iran had told Washington it was in a “state of collapse” and urged reopening the vital waterway, comments that drew warnings from Iranian officials about US efforts to destabilize the country internally.

A fragile ceasefire, extended after initially being set to expire on April 22, has paused the fighting, but both sides remain at odds amid ongoing economic fallout and stalled negotiations, including rare direct talks held on April 11.