Donald Trump and his administration addressed one of the most volatile flashpoints in global security as tensions in a critical waterway reached a breaking point. The President issued stark new warnings aimed at Tehran, leaving little ambiguity about the consequences of further escalation.
Donald Trump threatens Iran over US vessels in Strait of Hormuz
Donald Trump has threatened that Iran will be “blown off the face of the earth” if it attacks US vessels, the Guardian reported. The US launched an operation on Monday to help hundreds of ships trapped in the Gulf. The move dragged the region back to the brink of full-scale war.
Tehran sought to reassert its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway in global trade. The US military claimed to have destroyed six Iranian small boats. It also said it intercepted both Iranian cruise missiles and drones. Iran denied these claims. Over 800 ships and roughly 20,000 crew members remain stranded in the region.
Trump described the US naval effort as “one of the greatest military maneuvers ever done” in a Fox News interview. He claimed Iranian officials had been “far more malleable” in recent talks than before. He also addressed concerns about American weapons stockpiles.
“We have more weapons and ammunition at a much higher grade than we had before,” he told Fox News. He added that the US had bases stocked with equipment worldwide. “We can use all of that stuff, and we will, if we need it,” he said.
Trump’s remarks echo threats he made in April, warning that a “whole civilization will die” without compliance. Those comments drew widespread domestic and international backlash. His latest statements call into question a fragile, Pakistan-brokered ceasefire that halted hostilities last month.
The ceasefire failed to open the strait, through which about a fifth of international oil supplies usually travel. Iran’s military central command warned it would strike any US naval vessel approaching the strait. US Central Command said forces had redirected 50 commercial vessels amid the ongoing blockade.
Originally reported by Vritti Johar on Mandatory.com.
