Iran war updates: US block of Hormuz begins, Hezbollah rejects Israel talks

.

United States President Donald Trump threatens Iranian ships, saying they will be “eliminated” if they “come anywhere close to our blockade”.
The start of the US military’s blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports has now begun, according to the deadline it set.

Iran’s armed forces say that US’s “imposition of restrictions on the movement of vessels in international waters is an illegal act and amounts to piracy“.
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem has rejected negotiations between the Lebanese government and Israel, set to begin tomorrow, and called on Lebanon’s president to stand with Hezbollah against Israel.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says talks with the US in Pakistan failed because of Washington’s “maximalism, shifting goalposts and blockade”.

Israel’s military continues to bombard south Lebanon, with the country’s health ministry saying that at least 2,089 people have been killed in attacks since March 2.
Visit our live tracker for the latest casualty figures from across the region.