Donald Trump issued a warning to Iran as the U.S. launched a naval mission to aid ships stranded near the Strait of Hormuz, raising fears over the fragile ceasefire and pushing the region closer to full-scale conflict.
Donald Trump warned that Iran would be “blown off the face of the earth” if it targeted U.S. vessels working to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Washington launched a Monday operation to assist hundreds of stranded ships and their crews in the Gulf.
The move has once again brought the region to the brink of escalation, as Tehran attempts to reassert control over the Strait – a vital global trade route – and sustain its blockade. The U.S. military said it destroyed six Iranian boats and intercepted cruise missiles and drones, claims that Iran has denied.
Over 800 ships and nearly 20,000 crew members remain stranded at the key energy chokepoint in the Gulf.
In a Monday interview with Fox News, Donald Trump called the U.S. naval operation “one of the greatest military maneuvers ever done” and said Iranian officials had been “far more malleable” in recent discussions.
Responding to concerns about U.S. weapons stockpiles, Donald Trump told Fox News that the country now has more and higher-quality weapons than before, with well-equipped bases worldwide ready for use if needed.
Trump’s latest warning echoed comments he made in April, when he cautioned that an entire “civilization would die” if Tehran failed to meet his demands over the Strait of Hormuz – remarks that sparked widespread domestic and international backlash.
His remarks also raised doubts about the fragile ceasefire brokered by Pakistan last month, which halted hostilities but left the Strait of Hormuz – through which roughly a fifth of global oil flows – still closed.