Trump announces Iran blockade in Strait of Hormuz, targets businesses dealing with Tehran

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Monday that American forces will reimpose a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, specifically targeting Iran and any entities conducting business with Tehran. The executive order, signed by Trump, aims to cut off Iran's access to the strategic waterway.

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We're hitting them (Iran) very heavy tonight... We have tremendous amounts of ammunition. We're hitting them very hard, and it'll continue, and we'll see what happens.

"We're hitting them (Iran) very heavy tonight... We have tremendous amounts of ammunition. We're hitting them very hard, and it'll continue, and we'll see what happens," Trump told reporters. He asserted that the blockade would be more effective than direct military strikes, though he indicated a combination of actions would be employed. "We're knocking out all of their offensive capability, and we're controlling the strait... 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."

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We're knocking out all of their offensive capability, and we're controlling the strait (Strait of Hormuz). We're putting the blockade back.

Trump claimed that U.S. military operations over the past four months have severely weakened Iran's military, including its navy, air force, and production of missiles and drones. He stated that Iran's drone manufacturing capability has been reduced by 92 percent and its missile manufacturing capability by 89 percent. "They have a little capability left, but they don't have any capability against us. This is almost a military skirmish," he added.

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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.

The President also alleged that a potential deal with Iran collapsed after Tehran sought further negotiations, a tactic he claimed Iran has employed for 47 years. He further stated that Iran's economy has been crippled, with inflation soaring from 5 percent to over 350 percent. Trump announced that further major military operations against Iran were planned for Monday night, emphasizing the continuation of aggressive actions despite Iran's desire for a deal. "We're doing another very major attack tonight (on Iran). They want to make a deal. They came back. We made a deal two days ago... They've been negotiating for 47 years, but nobody's ever hit them militarily. We're hitting them very hard."

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We've knocked out their navy in one month. We knocked out their air force, which is non-existent. We knocked out most of their missiles and drones.