President Donald Trump said Monday that any Iranian “fast attack ships” moving near the U.S. naval blockade would be “immediately ELIMINATED,” issuing a fresh threat as Washington began enforcing new restrictions on vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that Iran’s navy had been “completely obliterated” and said 158 ships were now at the bottom of the sea. He also said the United States had not targeted what he described as Iran’s limited number of fast-attack boats because they were not viewed as a major threat.
Trump also said any Iranian boats approaching the blockade would be destroyed using the same maritime system the United States uses against drug-trafficking vessels. In the same post, he claimed that 98.2% of drugs entering the United States by ocean or sea had stopped, though he did not provide evidence for that figure.
The warning came after weekend talks between Washington and Tehran in Islamabad ended without a deal. On Sunday CENTCOM said the U.S. forces will began enforcing a blockade on maritime traffic entering or leaving Iranian ports at 10 a.m. Eastern on April 13 under a presidential proclamation.
CENTCOM also said the measure applies to vessels of all nations traveling to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas, including ports along the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The command said ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian ports would not be affected.
Trump on Sunday said the nearly 20-hour talks in Pakistan ended with broad agreement on most issues but failed on what he called the central issue of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Vice President JD Vance, who led the U.S. delegation, said Tehran rejected Washington’s proposal for a clear commitment not to develop nuclear weapons or the systems needed to build them.
Iran has called Donald Trump’s blockade of Iranian ports illegal after weekend talks between Washington and Tehran in Pakistan ended without an agreement.
Iranian officials also warned ports in neighboring Gulf states could be at risk if the United States enforces the measure, according to Reuters.
The Associated Press reported that Iranian officials described the U.S. position as too harsh and unrealistic and denounced the blockade as unlawful.
The dispute has again put the Strait of Hormuz at the center of the crisis. U.S. officials have said non-Iranian shipping can still pass through the waterway, but Iran has warned that pressure on its ports could increase regional shipping risks and threaten a key global oil route.
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