Trump officially announces start of naval blockade of Iran
Photo: Donald Trump, President of the United States (Getty Images)
The US has begun the blockade of Iran announced by US President Donald Trump. According to him, Iran’s naval forces are allegedly "lying at the bottom of the sea," and 158 Tehran vessels have been completely destroyed, according to Trump’s statement on Truth Social and the BBC.
"Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our blockade, they will be immediately eliminated, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea," the statement reads.
The US president added that 98.2% of drugs entering the United States by ocean or sea have been stopped.
He also claimed that Iran’s naval forces have been almost completely destroyed.
"Iran’s Navy is lying at the bottom of the sea, completely obliterated - 158 ships. What we have not hit are their small number of, what they call, 'fast attack ships,' because we did not consider them much of a threat," he stressed.
US ships near the Gulf of Oman
The BBC reported that a US aircraft carrier and two destroyers have been spotted near the Gulf of Oman. In particular, satellite images show that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln is located about 200 km from the Iranian coast.
Two other warships appear to match the size and shape of US Navy guided-missile destroyers.
The material suggests they are part of the Lincoln carrier strike group, but the exact identity of the vessels in the images could not be confirmed.
Trump ultimatum
On April 11, talks between the US and Iran on the nuclear program took place in Pakistan. The sides failed to reach an agreement, with Tehran rejecting US demands.
Following the failed talks, Trump announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. He said US ships would intercept all vessels that had paid Iran a transit fee.
