President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the United States would impose a total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. In a second post, he claimed that talks with Iran collapsed because Tehran was unwilling to commit to not developing nuclear weapons.
“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,” Trump wrote on Sunday. “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.”
The President said he gave the order because Iran refused to agree not to develop nuclear weapons during talks with US officials in Pakistan on Saturday. “The meeting with Iran began early in the morning, and lasted throughout the night — Close to 20 hours,” the President wrote in a second post on Sunday. “I could go into great detail, and talk about much that has been gotten but, there is only one thing that matters — IRAN IS UNWILLING TO GIVE UP ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS!”
Last week, President Trump threatened to destroy Iranian civilization if Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. However, he backed down from that threat and agreed to negotiate with Iran under a framework proposed by Tehran.
Those talks occurred on Saturday in Pakistan. While the meetings stretched on for a full day, Washington said it had determined that Iran was unwilling to commit to not obtaining nuclear weapons, and left Pakistan before a second day of talks could occur.
After the US and Israel attacked Iran at the end of February, Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz to most shipping. Iran has allowed some tankers to exit the Persian Gulf after paying a fee to Tehran.
The President wrote in his Truth Social post that the US would now begin targeting and seizing those ships. “I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran.” He added, “No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.”
