Washington, Apr 13 (EFE).- President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to “immediately eliminate” any Iranian ship approaching a US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our blockade, they will be immediately eliminated, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at sea. It is quick and brutal,» Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
The president also claimed that the Iranian navy is “laying at the bottom of the sea, completely obliterated.”
He said what the US military has “not hit are their small number of, what they call, ‘fast attack ships,’ because we did not consider them much of a threat.”
Trump’s message came about half an hour after the blockade imposed by US forces in the Strait of Hormuz came into effect.
The US Central Command (Centcom) said on X that the blockade would be applied impartially to vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
Centcom added that US forces would not impede ships transiting to or from non-Iranian ports and that further information would be provided to commercial mariners through formal notices.
Meanwhile, the British Navy’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) also alerted ships to the blockade, which took effect at 1400 GMT and affects Iranian ports and coastal waters.
“Maritime access restrictions are being enforced affecting Iranian ports and coastal areas, including locations along the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Sea east of the Strait of Hormuz.,” the UKMTO said.
It said the access restrictions apply without distinction to vessels of any flag engaging with Iranian ports, oil terminals, or coastal facilities.
“The restrictions encompass the entirety of the Iranian coastline, including ports and energy infrastructure.”
The UKMTO said transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations is not reported to be impeded by these measures.
“However, vessels may encounter military presence, directed communications, or right-of-visit procedures during passage,» the alert said, adding that «neutral» vessels currently in Iranian ports have been granted a limited period to depart.
The escalation follows the failure of weekend negotiations in Pakistan aimed at ending the US-Iran war, which began on Feb. 28.
Oil prices rose on Monday, while global stock markets reacted negatively to the lack of agreement in Islamabad.
The United Kingdom and Spain said they would not join the US blockade, while London and Paris plan to organize a conference to discuss a multinational mission to safeguard shipping through the strategic waterway. EFE
acd-sk
