“Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea,” Trump said. “It is quick and brutal.”
Trump announced a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, threatening to destroy “the little that is left of Iran” after peace talks led by Vice President JD Vance and Iranian representatives fell apart in Islamabad on Saturday.
Trump on Monday praised Vance, telling reporters that “he’s done a good job.”
“I can tell you that we’ve been called by the other side,” Trump said. “They’d like to make a deal very badly. Very badly.”
That blockade went into effect earlier Monday morning. U.S. Central Command said Sunday the blockade “will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas,” but not for “vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.”
Trump told reporters that other nations may also join the blockade.
“We don’t need other countries, frankly, but they’ve offered their services,” Trump said. “We’ll let it be known, probably tomorrow.”
The strait, which Iran essentially closed after the U.S.-Israel attacks began, has become a sticking point in negotiations, particularly after Iran threatened two U.S. Navy ships that moved through the waterway over the weekend.
Reports indicate Iran has plans to charge ships $1 per barrel of oil toll for safe passage through the strait — something Iranian officials deny but Trump initially seemed to indicate the U.S. could be part of, before ruling out a toll and demanding Iranians allow free passage.
In recent days, Trump has warned that the U.S. would intercept any vessel that paid tolls directly to Iran to travel through the strait.
It is unclear how long the blockade will last, though Trump has vowed to maintain the pressure until Iran reopens the waterway. As the squabble over the Strait of Hormuz continues, oil prices remain high — coming in at over $90 per barrel Monday morning.