Donald Trump announced that the US would begin blocking all ships attempting to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz, following the collapse of US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad. Trump’s announcement comes just hours after diplomatic discussions between the US and Iran ended without a resolution.
Trump issues warning to Iran
In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump warned that US forces would immediately initiate a blockade on the vital waterway, which is crucial for global oil shipments. “At some point, we will reach an ‘ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT’ basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen,” Trump wrote, referring to Iran’s continued control over the Strait, through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil passes.
Trump further stated that he had instructed the US Navy to take aggressive action against any vessels in international waters that have “paid a toll to Iran” for passage. “I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran,” Trump declared, warning that no vessel paying such illegal tolls would be allowed safe passage.
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