Trump reinstates Hormuz blockade, threatens Iran with strikes

President Donald Trump has declared that the United States will resume its naval blockade of Iranian ports and act as the guardian of the Strait of Hormuz, signaling a sharp escalation in tensions between the two nations. The announcement, made via the Truth social media platform, asserts U.S. control over the vital waterway.

"From this moment on, the United States will be the guardian of the Strait of Hormuz," Trump stated, adding that the U.S. would seek compensation through a 20% tariff on all goods transported through the strait. This move comes despite reports from navigation monitoring sites indicating that maritime traffic has been virtually nonexistent since Sunday evening. The blockade, which was reportedly revoked last month following a truce, is expected to take effect within 24 hours.

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From this moment on, the United States will be the guardian of the Strait of Hormuz.

This development follows Iran's threats of retaliation for the killing of its former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, called the killing a "right of the Iranian nation." Trump further stated that the U.S. would "hit Iran hard" on Monday and Tuesday evenings, characterizing a previous memorandum of understanding as a test that Iran failed to uphold.

In response, Iran has warned of further escalation and threatened to permanently withdraw from the nuclear agreement with the U.S. if commitments are not met. The Iranian military has also announced a series of retaliatory attacks against U.S. military targets in Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. Tehran has vowed to strongly counter any disruption of commercial shipping in the Strait, warning that any country cooperating with the U.S. will be considered an aggressor.

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The United States will hit Iran hard on Monday evening and Tuesday.