US President Donald Trump has declared that the US Navy will immediately begin a “blockade” of the Strait of Hormuz after talks with Iran in Islamabad ended without agreement. He accused Tehran of extortion, referring to the fees charged to vessels seeking to traverse the strategically vital waterway.
“I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas,” the US president stated on Truth Social. He went on to claim that “other Countries will be involved with this Blockade.”
Trump also said the US Navy will begin destroying Iranian mines in the strait, threatening that Tehran’s forces attempting to obstruct the effort “will be BLOWN TO HELL!”
Earlier, the US and Iranian delegations left the marathon 21-hour talks in Islamabad without a peace deal, though a tentative ceasefire in the Gulf continues to hold.
US Vice President J.D. Vance, who led the US delegation, said Washington was “negotiating in good faith” and made its red lines “as clear as we possibly could,” but Iran has “chosen not to accept our terms.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the talks produced some progress on several issues, but noted that differences remain on “two or three key points.”
A source close to the Iranian delegation told Fars that Washington was “looking for an excuse” to walk away, adding that Tehran refused US conditions on the Strait of Hormuz, peaceful nuclear energy, and other core issues, and added that Iran has no plans for another round of talks.
Commenting on the failed talks in Islamabad, Trump claimed that the Iranian negotiators “were very unyielding” on uranium enrichment – the “single most important issue” to the US.
US Vice President J.D. Vance, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and the rest of the US negotiating team have left Pakistan, according to media reports.
The IDF has been instructed to assume a “heightened state of readiness” in anticipation of a resumption of the hostilities, Israeli media reports.
Trump has said he ordered the US Navy to remove Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM earlier announced that the US Navy destroyers USS Frank E. Petersen and USS Michael Murphy crossed the waterway and operated in the Arabian Gulf as part of the mission.
Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari has denied US claims of a minesweeping operation in Hormuz, insisting that any vessel seeking to pass through the key waterway requires permission from the Iranian armed forces.
Daily Telegraph New Zealand (DTNZ) is an independent news website, first published in October 2021. - where this article was sourced.
Trump also said the US Navy will begin destroying Iranian mines in the strait, threatening that Tehran’s forces attempting to obstruct the effort “will be BLOWN TO HELL!”
Earlier, the US and Iranian delegations left the marathon 21-hour talks in Islamabad without a peace deal, though a tentative ceasefire in the Gulf continues to hold.
US Vice President J.D. Vance, who led the US delegation, said Washington was “negotiating in good faith” and made its red lines “as clear as we possibly could,” but Iran has “chosen not to accept our terms.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the talks produced some progress on several issues, but noted that differences remain on “two or three key points.”
A source close to the Iranian delegation told Fars that Washington was “looking for an excuse” to walk away, adding that Tehran refused US conditions on the Strait of Hormuz, peaceful nuclear energy, and other core issues, and added that Iran has no plans for another round of talks.
Commenting on the failed talks in Islamabad, Trump claimed that the Iranian negotiators “were very unyielding” on uranium enrichment – the “single most important issue” to the US.
US Vice President J.D. Vance, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and the rest of the US negotiating team have left Pakistan, according to media reports.
The IDF has been instructed to assume a “heightened state of readiness” in anticipation of a resumption of the hostilities, Israeli media reports.
Trump has said he ordered the US Navy to remove Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM earlier announced that the US Navy destroyers USS Frank E. Petersen and USS Michael Murphy crossed the waterway and operated in the Arabian Gulf as part of the mission.
Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari has denied US claims of a minesweeping operation in Hormuz, insisting that any vessel seeking to pass through the key waterway requires permission from the Iranian armed forces.
Daily Telegraph New Zealand (DTNZ) is an independent news website, first published in October 2021. - where this article was sourced.
6 comments:
You’re not breaking up with me, I’m breaking up with you! Says Trump. We used to have an open strait, now it’s, um, double-blockaded? The man is a stone cold genius.
So Iran blocks international waters and only allows those that support it or pay a bribe to use it. Trump should have closed it completely from day one. Open for all, or open for none.
Ummm, true facts....the Strait was being blockaded by the IRGC and tolls were being charged. So the US are merely taking control so the Strait situation can be rectified. Remember, the IRGC also said there were mines everywhere so the Strait was never really cleared for shipping.
Janine there was no blockade at all when the year started. The cognitive dissonance is high!
No blockade until recently(a regime won't give up its wealth, power and religious fanaticism without a fight, thus a blockade)...only 40,000 citizens machine-gunned down in the street by the IRGC...yes, I totally agree cognitive dissonance by many commenters....
Janine you said “the Strait was being blockaded by the IRGC and tolls were being charged”. This is clearly now true, because the strait was open in January. I understand why that fact makes you uncomfortable, but I can’t help you.
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