The President said on Sunday that the US Navy will immediately begin imposing a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, and will also proceed with inspections of any ship in international waters that has paid tolls to Iran.
Trump made these statements in a post on Truth Social, a few hours after the conclusion of US-Iran talks, which did not result in an agreement. He said the meeting “went well, most points were agreed,” but added that the two sides did not reach an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.
“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the best in the world, will begin the process of interdicting any ship attempting to enter or exit the Strait of Hormuz,” said Trump, who strongly opposes the idea of Iran imposing tolls to pass through the strait.
Vice President J. D. Vance and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner left the region on Sunday after 21 hours of talks with top Iranian officials, brokered by Pakistan, in an effort to end the six-week war.
The collapse of talks has left the truce in limbo, and Trump’s post signals greater danger to the deal. Iran’s semi-official media cited “excessive” US demands, while the foreign ministry said it was natural that the differences would not be resolved in a single round of talks, leaving the door open for more talks.
Trump declared that Iran’s possible laying of mines in this important seaway, as well as its demands for the payment of fees as a guarantee for safe passage, constitute “GLOBAL BLACKMAIL, and the leaders of countries, especially the United States of America, will never bow to blackmail.”
“I have also instructed our Navy to track down and intercept any ship in international waters that has paid tolls to Iran. No one paying an illegal fee will have safe passage on the high seas,” he added.
“I could wipe out Iran in a day, in an hour”
A threat that recalled the previous one, just a week ago, when he said that at the end of his ultimatum to Tehran. “Tonight an entire civilization will disappear.” A statement that sparked reactions and warnings, as these threats constitute a declaration of intent to commit a crime against humanity.
Trump:
I could take out Iran in one day.
— Clash Report (@clashreport)
And new threats to energy infrastructure and desalination plants followed.
“All that’s left is their water, which I wouldn’t want to touch at all,” the American president said.
On energy, he said: “We could cut them all off, so they’d have no electricity for 10 years.”
Trump:
We can cut off their electricity for 10 years.
— Clash Report (@clashreport)
“I’ll hit them if they don’t give up nukes”
But then he predicted that Iran would back down and eventually give what the US demanded.
Regarding the talks in Islamabad, the US president said: “We did not reach an agreement on the important issue: they want to get nuclear weapons. “Most countries should not be allowed to have” nuclear weapons, he added.
And he noted: If Tehran “does not abandon the nuclear effort, we will destroy Iran even more.”
