President Donald Trump told Axios he will not lift the naval blockade of Iranian ports until he reaches a deal with Tehran to address the country’s nuclear program, prolonging the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz that has caused a global energy crisis.
“Blockade is a little more effective than bombing. They’re choking like a stuffed pig. And it’s going to be worse for them. They can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said in a phone interview Wednesday, according to Axios.
Trump said he rejected a recent proposal from Iran to reopen the strait, but that would have postponed nuclear talks until later.
The blockade is at the heart of the standoff between the US and Iran, with the Islamic Republic insisting it will not resume talks or reopen the strait while naval restrictions remain in place. Trump says he will not halt the operation until Iran agrees to a peace deal to end a war that, although now in a ceasefire, began more than two months ago, causing chaos across the Middle East and sending energy prices soaring.
Although Trump has said he will maintain the blockade, US military commanders have prepared a plan for a short, powerful wave of strikes against Iran to increase pressure on the regime, according to Axios, citing sources with knowledge of the preparations.
With the strait effectively closed for two months and little sign that it will reopen soon, oil prices continue to rise. Brent crude futures reached around $119 a barrel in London.
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It’s unclear how much storage space and time Iran has left before it needs to shut down the wells, which could permanently damage them. Analytics firm Kpler estimates 12 to 22 days remain.
Iranian authorities have shown no intention of backing down.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused Trump on Wednesday of trying to force Iran to surrender through economic pressure and internal divisions, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
“Trump explicitly divides the country between hardliners and moderates and then immediately talks about a naval blockade to force Iran to surrender through economic pressure and internal divisions,” Ghalibaf said in an audio message addressed to Iranians. The only solution to “fight the enemy” is national unity, he added.
US blockade continues to put pressure on the Strait of Hormuz
Trump claimed that divisions within the Iranian regime have delayed decision-making. US and Israeli attacks have killed many of the country’s top leaders.
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On Tuesday, Trump discussed the possibility of extending the blockade in a meeting with oil industry and foreign trade executives. The meeting, described by a White House official, was attended by representatives from Chevron Corp., as well as foreign trade companies Trafigura Group, Vitol Group and Mercuria Energy Group Ltd.
Meeting participants discussed ways the Trump administration could maintain the blockade on Iranian ports if necessary while minimizing the impact on American consumers, the White House official said. Axios reported the meeting on Wednesday.
Trump administration officials have repeatedly stated that oil and gasoline prices will fall after the end of the war. But rising commodity prices are weighing heavily on the government ahead of November’s midterm elections, which will determine whether Trump’s Republican Party retains control of Congress.
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A longer disruption of shipping through the strait — and of oil supplies to world markets — is likely to push prices even higher.
