The United States has commenced a naval blockade targeting Iran’s maritime routes, with tensions escalating sharply as President Donald Trump warned that any vessels approaching the restricted zone would be “eliminated.”
Trump also claimed that the U.S. had already destroyed 158 Iranian naval vessels in the course of the operation, insisting that “Iran’s navy is laying at the bottom of the sea,” in a post on his Truth Social platform.
According to him, the only Iranian assets not yet targeted are the country’s “fast attack ships,” which he said were not viewed as a significant threat to the blockade.
He further warned that these vessels could still be struck, referencing what he described as a “system of kill” used against “drug dealers on boats at Sea.”
“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. It is quick and brutal,” he wrote – capitalising the words “blockade” and “eliminated”.
He also added: “P.S. 98.2% of drugs coming into the U.S. by ocean or sea have stopped! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
In a parallel development, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned Trump’s remarks directed at Pope Leo XIV, speaking “on behalf of the great nation of Iran.”
He said the alleged desecration of “Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood,” was unacceptable to “any free person.”
The Iranian response followed Trump’s criticism of the Pope on Truth Social, where he described him as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy,” while also linking his comments to Iran and Venezuela.
Meanwhile, maritime authorities, including the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, issued alerts confirming that the blockade covers all vessel traffic, regardless of flag.
The notice clarified that transit through the Strait to non-Iranian destinations should not be directly restricted, though vessels attempting passage were warned they could encounter military activity.
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