President Donald Trump says the US Navy will prevent oil tankers from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, following failed talks with Iran.
Mr Trump, in a post on Truth Social, also said the US will indict countries that pay toll fees to Iran to pass through the Strait. He accused Tehran of extortion.
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“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” he wrote.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the first day of direct talks between the US and Iran ended without an agreement.
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There was contention over control of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s intention to continue to produce nuclear materials for civilian use.
The US wants Iran to completely stop all forms of uranium enrichment and hand over its highly enriched uranium. Iran wants to continue minimal uranium enrichment for civilian use.
Commenting on this, Mr Trump said the “meeting went well”, and the US and Iran agreed on “most points” except for the “only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR.”
He also said that the US Navy will begin to destroy Iranian mines planted in the Strait while noting that any Iranian “who fires” at the navy, or at “peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!”
He further stated that “Iran knows better than anyone how to END this situation, which has already devastated their Country. Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti-Aircraft and Radar are useless, Khomeini, and most of their “Leaders,” are dead, all because of their Nuclear ambition.”
Mr Trump said other countries will be participating in the maritime siege, which will prevent Iran from profiting off the Strait.
He said, “Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION.”
“They want money and, more importantly, they want Nuclear. Additionally and, at an appropriate moment, we are fully “LOCKED AND LOADED,” and our Military will finish up the little that is left of Iran!”
During an interview with Fox News, Mr Trump also said that the UK and several other countries would be sending minesweeper naval craft to the Strait.
He said the blockade would “take a little while, but it’ll be effective pretty soon,” while noting that Gulf states are already helping with the effort.
He, however, did not specify which countries would be part of the blockade.
“Oh, yeah, it’s already started. So the Gulf states, now you could say they’re much closer, so maybe they have to do it. But you know, they also could stay out. But they made a mistake when they started lobbing missiles at them,” he said.
Iran says US fails to build trust
Meanwhile, Iran’s chief negotiator, Bagher Qalibaf, blamed Washington for the failure to reach a deal, stating that it failed to gain Tehran’s trust.
In a series of posts on X, the parliament speaker said the Iranian delegation had presented “forward-looking initiatives” but that Americans ultimately failed to gain Iran’s trust.
READ ALSO: Ceasefire: Trump says Iran doing ‘very poor job’ on opening Strait of Hormuz
“America has understood our logic and principles, and now is the time for the US to decide whether it can gain our trust or not.
“We consider every mirror to be another method of authority diplomacy, alongside military struggle, for upholding the rights of the Iranian nation, and we will not for a moment cease our efforts to consolidate the achievements of the forty days of Iran’s national defence,” he wrote.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, had also admitted that while the two sides had disagreed on some matters, no one expected a deal from just one meeting.
But Vice President JD Vance, who led the American delegation to Islamabad, said the US has put forward a “final and best offer” that it wants Iran to accept.
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