Trump says US navy like ‘pirates’ while seizing a ship in Iranian blockade | US-Israel war on Iran
Donald Trump said the US Navy acted “like pirates”, describing an operation to seize a ship as part of the US blockade of Iranian ports.
“We landed on it and we took back the ship. We took back the cargo, took back the oil. It’s a very profitable business,” Trump said at a rally in Florida on Friday.
“We are like pirates,” he added to the cheers of the crowd. “We’re kind of like pirates. But we don’t play games.”
Trump’s comparison of US naval activity to piracy comes as legal experts sound the alarm over Iran’s blockade of the vital Strait of Hormuz and its plan to impose fees on ships passing through it.
Tehran effectively closed the waterway – a key route for oil and gas shipments – after the US-Israeli air campaign against Iran began on February 28.
The United States announced a blockade of Iranian ports last month after peace talks in Pakistan failed.
US Central Command, responsible for US forces in the Middle East, said it had redirected 45 ships on Friday to “ensure compliance” with its blockade.
Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon chief, told reporters in April that the blockade would last “as long as it takes”, while top US military officer GenDan Caine said it “applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, going to or from Iranian ports”.
Iran has pledged to maintain its hold on the strait as long as Washington continues to blockade its ports.
