Donald Trump recently issued further threats against Iran, specifically concerning the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by the US Navy. On Monday, Trump claimed that the Iranian navy had been largely destroyed, stating that 158 Iranian warships lay at the seabed. He added that only a small number of fast boats remained untouched because the US President considered them not to be a substantial threat. However, Trump warned that any of these fast boats approaching the US blockade would be immediately “eliminated”. He further explained that the same system, used against alleged drug smugglers at sea, would be employed, describing the action as “quick and brutal”.
In other developments, the US Navy officially enforced its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz around 4 PM German time, after the deadline set by Trump expired. According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations, this blockade restricts access to Iranian ports and coastal areas, including locations along the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Sea to the east of the Strait of Hormuz. Previously, CENTCOM announced that the blockade would affect all vessels arriving at or departing from Iranian ports, covering all ports within both the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Nevertheless, these measures are intended not to impede the “freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports”.
The UKMTO specifies that the restrictions apply to vessels of all flags associated with Iranian ports, oil tankers, or coastal facilities. Neutral vessels currently docked in Iranian ports have been given a limited timeframe to depart. Further guidelines regarding these shipping restrictions are reportedly still under development.
Iran had initially blocked the strategically vital strait in response to a US-Israeli attack against the country. Following this, Trump had been vocally demanding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. After direct talks between the US and Iran failed over the weekend, the American President announced his own blockade of the waterway.
