Washington: US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that American forces are actively dismantling Iran's military capabilities linked to the Strait of Hormuz and reinstating a blockade specifically targeting the nation.
According to Nam News Network, President Trump emphasized that despite the escalating military actions, a diplomatic resolution with Tehran remains a possibility. "We're attacking them tonight, and we're taking out all of their capability for anything having to do with the Strait of Hormuz," Trump stated to reporters at the White House.
The President accused Iran of repeatedly reneging on agreements after negotiations had shown signs of promise. "They made a deal. They broke it - probably 10 times - and they killed a lot of people... They've been negotiating for 47 years, but nobody has ever hit them militarily. We're hitting them very hard," he asserted.
When questioned about the potential for a deal with Iran, Trump expressed optimism, saying, "Yeah, I think a deal is possible." This statement coincided with the US conducting a third consecutive night of military operations against Iran, aimed at undermining Tehran's ability to threaten commercial shipping and regional security in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump proclaimed that the US was effectively neutralizing Iran's offensive capabilities and maintained control over the strait. "We're putting the blockade back, and it's a blockade not for anybody but Iran. In other words, anybody doing business with Iran can't go through. Everyone else will be able to go through. So it's a blockade, a very strong blockade. The blockade was probably more effective even than hitting them, but I think the combination is the thing that really does," he explained.
In response, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi asserted that Tehran would continue to act as the "guardian" of the Strait of Hormuz despite Trump's threats to impose fees on shipping in the critical waterway.
Trump further noted the US's desire for financial compensation for protecting nations that benefit from the strait's security. "I want to be reimbursed because we're protecting a very rich portion of the world. We're spending money, and so what we've done is we are going to be reimbursed for protection," he remarked, mentioning Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
Addressing reports of Iranian drones in Cuba, Trump declared readiness to address the situation. "If they do have that, and they might very well have that, we'll take care of it," he assured. "If they do have that, we'll take care of it in short order. We're not going to have a problem. We're not going to allow that to happen. So it could be that they're storing some. We're looking into it now. It could be so, and it maybe isn't, but we'll figure it out fast," he concluded.