NPR News: 04-14-2026 7PM EDT

The U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is now fully in effect, with no ships having successfully transited since Monday, as the Trump administration and Iran appear to be moving toward renewed talks to end hostilities. Meanwhile, a January 6 rioter who received a presidential pardon now faces new charges for child sex crimes, severe tornadoes tore through the Midwest without causing fatalities, and Americans are seeing larger tax refunds this year—though most do not perceive the tax law as benefiting them.

U.S.-Iran Conflict and the Strait of Hormuz Blockade

U.S. Central Command confirmed that no vessels have made it all the way through the Strait of Hormuz since the naval blockade was imposed on Monday. One ship attempted the passage but turned back. The blockade is a major escalation in the ongoing U.S.-Israel war on Iran, and it is compounding the economic pressures on Tehran. Dana Stroll, research director at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, explained that both sides now need a closing deal. "They do need a deal, so does the United States," Stroll said. He argued that Iran's pre-war problems—inability to keep the lights on, provide electricity, manage water, protect its people, or stabilize its currency—will only worsen as the blockade continues. "At the end of this war as the fog clears from the damage, the problems that plagued Iran before the