Trump says Iranian ships to be ‘eliminated’ as US naval blockade begins

Iran describes the siege against its ports as the US president’s ‘revenge of choice’ against the global economy.

Iran has suggested that the United States blockade on Iranian ports will only hurt the international economy after President Donald Trump ordered a naval siege against the country.

“Can an illegal ‘war of choice’ be won through a ‘revenge of choice’ against the global economy?!” Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei posted on X on Monday. “Is it ever worthwhile to cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face?!”

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Trump warned Iranian military ships against approaching the blockade zone.

“Iran’s Navy is laying at the bottom of the sea, completely obliterated – 158 ships. What we have not hit are their small number of, what they call, ‘fast attack ships,’ because we did not consider them much of a threat,” Trump wrote in a social media post.

“Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED.”

The blockade, which Trump announced on Sunday after US and Iranian negotiators failed to reach a deal after a round of talks in Pakistan, came into effect on Monday at 10am in Washington, DC (14:00 GMT).

The US move risks setting the stage for a major escalation that could fray a two-week ceasefire between the two countries, which went into effect on Wednesday.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre announced it was notified that the US blockade will apply “without distinction” to ships engaging with Iranian ports and oil terminals.

“The restrictions encompass the entirety of the Iranian coastline, including the ports and energy infrastructure,” UKMTO, which is affiliated with the British navy, said in an advisory.

Although the ceasefire stipulated that Iran would open the Strait of Hormuz, vessel traffic has not increased in the strategic waterway.

Iranian officials have accused the US of violating the truce by allowing Israel to continue to bomb and conduct a ground invasion in Lebanon. Pakistan, which mediated the ceasefire, had said all regional fronts – including Lebanon – were part of the deal.

While Trump’s move to blockade Iran’s ports could hamper the already ailing Iranian economy, it is unlikely to loosen the Iranian grip on Hormuz or bring down energy prices.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Iranian parliament speaker, who led Tehran’s negotiating team in Islamabad, warned on Sunday that the US naval siege will only raise petrol prices for Americans.

The average price of one gallon (2.8 litres) of petrol in the US is now more than $4.12, up from less than $3 before the war began.

“Enjoy the current pump figures. With the so-called ‘blockade’, Soon you’ll be nostalgic for $4-$5 gas,” Ghalibaf wrote on X.

Iran has promised to defend its territorial waters, saying the naval siege amounts to “piracy”.

Disputes over Hormuz and whether Iran will be allowed to retain a domestic nuclear programme were the major sticking points in the 21-hour talks in Islamabad, which began on Saturday.

Pakistan has said it will continue its mediation efforts.

“Pakistan remains committed to sustaining this momentum for peace and stability,” Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a social media post on Monday.