News
13/04/26
US starts enforcing blockade of Hormuz: Trump
US starts enforcing blockade of Hormuz: Trump
Washington, 13 April (Argus) — The US set out on Monday to intercept ships
leaving Iranian ports or heading to Iran through the strait of Hormuz,
ostensibly to increase US leverage in peace negotiations with Tehran. The
blockade , which went into effect at 10am ET (14:00 GMT) Monday, ought to force
Tehran to make a deal with the US and reopen the strait of Hormuz, President
Donald Trump told reporters on Monday. Trump — as he has done on many occasions
since the war with Iran started on 28 February — claimed that Iran in fact
became more pliable following his decision to enforce a blockade. "We've been
called this morning by the right people, the appropriate people, and they want
to work a deal," he said, without offering any details. Senior US and Iranian
officials failed to make a breakthrough in marathon talks over the weekend in
Islamabad, Pakistan. From the US' perspective, the key stumbling block is Iran's
nuclear program. "Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, and we agreed to a lot of
things, but they didn't agree to that," Trump said. "And I think they will agree
to it. I'm almost sure of it. In fact, I am sure of it. If they don't agree,
there's no deal, there'll never be a deal." Iran has warned it could target
ports across the Mideast Gulf if its own facilities are attacked as a result of
US naval operations, describing US plans to impose a blockade on Iranian ports
as "piracy". Tankers from neutral countries that are currently loading Iranian
cargo have been granted a grace period to get through the US' announced
blockade, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations. As much as 36pc of all
tanker traffic transiting the strait of Hormuz since the start of the US–Iran
war either departed or were bound for Iranian ports. In Trump's words, Tehran's
ability to prevent non-Iranian trade from transiting Hormuz is detrimental —
"They're really blackmailing the world. We're not going to let that happen." —
but also not affecting the US very much. "We don't use this trade," Trump said.
"We have our own oil and gas much more than we need. We have more oil and gas
than Saudi Arabia." Trump earlier on Monday posted on his social media platform
that "34 Ships went through the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, which is by far the
highest number since this foolish closure began." Trump told reporters that
other countries have offered to help enforce the blockade even though "we don't
need other countries". He said he would announce on Tuesday which countries will
join the US in enforcing the blockade. The UK and France said on Monday they
would co-host a summit with more than 40 countries participating to discuss how
to safeguard shipping through Hormuz, adding that their participation will begin
"when the conflict ends". Trump, who last month said he expected the war to end
within "four to six weeks", said on Monday that he would stick to his original
timeline. "Right now there's no fighting. Right now we have a blockade. They're
doing no business." The US and Iran agreed to a ceasefire through 21 April to
allow for diplomatic talks to hash out a deal. Iran's military capacity has been
obliterated, Trump said. "Their navy is gone, their air force is gone, their
anti aircraft is gone, their radar is gone, and their leaders are gone." But in
a social media post Monday morning, Trump acknowledged that Iran has retained
its fleet of speedboats, warning that "If any of these ships come anywhere close
to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED." By Haik Gugarats Send
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