Furious Iran brands Trump a ‘pirate’ over US Strait of Hormuz blockade | US | News
Tehran responded to Donald Trump’s order to blockade the Strait of Hormuz by branding Trump’s America a nation of pirates and warning that Americans pumping oil will soon wish they were paying just $4 a gallon.
The Islamic Republic’s armed forces have declared Trump’s move illegal and vowed to implement a “permanent mechanism” to control the critical oil chokepoint, warning that no port in the Persian Gulf or Oman Sea would remain safe if Iranian ports were threatened, the Express understands.
“America’s criminal actions to restrict maritime passage in international waters are illegal and constitute piracy,” a spokesman for Iran’s armed forces said.
“The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran clearly and unequivocally declare that the security of ports in the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea is either for everyone or for no one.”
The challenge came after Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Galibaf used social media to taunt American consumers about the looming impact on fuel prices, the NY Post reported.
He wrote to X: “Enjoy the current pump figures.” “With this so-called ‘blockade,’ you’ll soon be nostalgic for $4-$5 gas.”
Trump announced the blockade of Truth Social on Sunday, calling Iran’s control of the strait “UNWORLDWIDE” and promising that no ship paying tolls to Tehran would be granted safe passage.
“Effective immediately, the U.S. Navy, the Best Navy in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKING all Ships attempting to enter or exit the Strait of Hormuz,” he wrote.
Trump acknowledged that the blockade would eventually be lifted, but blamed Iran for the current stalemate.
“At some point we will get to the baseline of ‘everyone is allowed in, everyone is allowed out,’ but Iran did not allow it to be a mine that no one knew about but them, just by saying ‘There might be a mine in there somewhere.’
“This is a worldwide extortion and the Leaders of Countries, especially the United States of America, will never be usurped. Anyone who pays illegal tolls will not have the right to safe passage on the high seas.”
