President Donald Trump compared the U.S. Navy to pirates when describing how it was carrying out his orders to blockade Iranian ports.
“We took over the ship, we took over the cargo, we took over the oil. It’s a very profitable business,” Trump said on Friday evening, recounting a seizure of an Iranian ship. “We’re sort of like pirates, but we are not playing games.”
The U.S. began a naval blockade of Iranian ports last month following the breakdown of peace talks between the two sides, ostensibly in response to Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Read more: Democrats Explore Suing Trump If He Ignores Congress on Iran War
The energy transit route saw one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas travel through it before the U.S. and Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran on Feb. 28, beginning a conflict that has killed thousands of civilians.
In response to the attack, Iran blocked all maritime traffic passing through the Strait. It loosened that blockade in recent weeks, allowing allies and other non-combatant nations to pass through after paying a toll.
The U.S. blockade applies to Iranian and any other vessels that have paid a toll to Iran, according to Trump.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said on April 29 that U.S. forces had redirected more than 40 commercial vessels attempting to violate the blockade.
“Right now there are 41 tankers with 69 million barrels of oil that the Iranian regime can’t sell. That’s an estimated $6 billion-plus from which Iran’s leadership cannot financially benefit. The blockade is highly effective and U.S. forces remain fully committed to total enforcement,” he said in a statement. Since then, CENTCOM said an additional four vessels have been redirected, bringing the total to 45 since the U.S. naval blockade began on April 13.
Trump said the U.S. Navy would block “any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz” in a post announcing the move on Truth Social on April 12. He added that the blockade would remain until Iran opens the Strait to all traffic.
Read more: Iran Reimposes Control of Strait of Hormuz and Fires on Tankers
The disruption to oil flow through the passage has led to huge spikes in oil prices and fuel rationing across the globe.
The average price of gas hit $4.39 a gallon in the U.S. on Friday, according to AAA. Spirit Airlines became the first U.S. airline to cease operations as a result of rising fuel costs linked to the Iran war on Saturday. Jet fuel prices have doubled since the Iran war began two months ago.
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