President Donald Trump issued his most aggressive threat yet against Iran on Monday, saying the United States will sink any Iranian ships that approach the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
From capture to destruction
The statement marks a sharp escalation from earlier in the day, when US Central Command warned that vessels entering the blockade zone without clearance would face interception and capture. Trump’s language moves from enforcement to outright destruction of Iranian naval assets.
Trump also posted on social media: “Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!”
The threat came hours after the US blockade of Iranian ports took effect at 1400 GMT, following the collapse of nuclear talks in Islamabad. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard had already warned that no port in the Persian Gulf or Gulf of Oman would be safe if Iranian ports were threatened.
Pakistan says ceasefire holds
Despite the escalation in rhetoric, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told his cabinet that the two-week ceasefire is “still holding” and that “full efforts are under way to resolve the outstanding issues.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi responded that the US practised “maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade” during the Islamabad negotiations. Iran’s chief negotiator Ghalibaf posted a map of Washington petrol prices, taunting: “Enjoy the current pump figures. Soon you’ll be nostalgic for $4-$5 gas.”
Oil benchmarks surged roughly 7% back above $100 per barrel, compounding pressure on Sri Lanka’s fuel import bill as the country navigates its worst energy supply crisis in months.
