Trump Vows to Maintain Iran Blockade Until Peace Deal as Tensions Escalate in Hormuz
“THE BLOCKADE, which we will not take off until there is a ‘DEAL,’ is absolutely destroying Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, claiming the measures are costing Tehran an estimated $500 million per day.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States will not lift its blockade of Iranian ports until Tehran agrees to a peace deal to end the ongoing conflict, signaling a hardline stance amid rising regional tensions.
“THE BLOCKADE, which we will not take off until there is a ‘DEAL,’ is absolutely destroying Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, claiming the measures are costing Tehran an estimated $500 million per day. “They are losing $500 Million Dollars a day, an unsustainable number, even in the short run.”
The escalation comes as maritime traffic has again stalled in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, where both Washington and Tehran have imposed competing blockades.
The Trump administration has enforced sweeping restrictions targeting all Iranian-linked vessels and ports. United States Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that at least 27 ships have been turned back since the measures were implemented.
Iran, for its part, re-closed the strait on Saturday after briefly reopening it for 24 hours. The naval arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that any vessel approaching the waterway would be considered a “cooperator with the enemy” and could be targeted unless the U.S. lifts its blockade.
Tensions further intensified on Sunday when U.S. forces seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, the Touska, in the Gulf of Oman after it allegedly attempted to breach the blockade.