America announced the blockade of Hormuz, Trump said – now no ships will be allowed to come or go.

New Delhi: After the peace talks with Iran in Islamabad remained inconclusive, Donald Trump made a major announcement, saying that the US will soon begin a blockade of ships entering and leaving the Strait of Hormuz. His statement is considered to further escalate tensions in the region. Trump said, “Effective immediately, the US Navy will begin the process of stopping all ships entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz. I have also instructed our Navy to search for and stop every ship paying toll to Iran in international waters.”

He alleged that Iran has failed to honor its promises to keep this vital sea route open. According to Trump, the threat of mines in the sea is already impacting shipping. He said, “If shipowners think there could be mines anywhere, why would they take the risk?”

Trump also stated that during the nearly 20-hour marathon talks with Iranian officials in Islamabad, agreement was reached on several issues, but the most significant was Iran’s nuclear program, on which no agreement could be reached. Trump reiterated that Iran will never be able to acquire nuclear weapons. He stated that Iran’s stance on this issue remains firm. He further stated that it is unacceptable for the United States to continue negotiations with Iran until it halts its nuclear program.

Trump also stated that the US would accelerate the demining of the Strait of Hormuz and that any Iranian who fired on US ships engaged in this work would be sent to hell. He described Iran’s actions to collect tolls from ships in the Strait of Hormuz as “extortion” and warned of strong retaliation in the event of any attack on US security forces or merchant ships. He also hinted that other countries could join the blockade. Trump also claimed that Iran’s military capabilities had already been significantly weakened, and its naval and air defense systems had been largely disabled.