President Donald Trump warned Iran again on Sunday that any attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz would result in a devastating US response. In an interview with Fox News, he said the US could "take over" the strait and collect oil tolls, and told Iran's president to "shape up." Trump also posted that Iran must immediately stop Hezbollah or face "very hard" US strikes.
President Donald Trump escalated his threats against Iran on Sunday night, warning in an interview with Fox News that the United States could "take over" the Strait of Hormuz and collect 20% of the oil toll if Iran does not make a deal. Referring to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's comments about uranium enrichment, Trump said, "He better watch his mouth. He better shape up, or we will take over the rest of the country."
The threats come alongside a social media post in which Trump demanded that Iran "immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble," warning that if they don't, "we'll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!"
As The Zioneer reported Sunday evening (articles at 16:21 and 16:54 Jerusalem), Trump has been steadily escalating rhetoric against Tehran this week, linking Iran's nuclear program, control of the Gulf waterway, and the Hezbollah front. The new Fox News interview and social media post add concrete threats of military seizure of the Strait of Hormuz — a key global oil chokepoint — in addition to the strike warnings issued earlier.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem reiterated Sunday that any ceasefire granting Israel freedom of movement in Lebanon is unacceptable, saying it would be "a continuation of aggression." Tasnim News Agency warned that if Israel does not withdraw from Lebanon, all negotiations will halt and Iran will enter "a phase of harsh response."
2 developments
- StrongTrump threatens to take over rest of Iran if Pezeshkian doesn't 'shut his mouth'
- StrongTrump warns he may impose Strait of Hormuz tolls if no Iran deal in 60 days
- DevelopingTrump: Without a deal, US military actions could shut Hormuz for extended period
- DevelopingReport: Trump demands immediate, non-phased reopening of Strait of Hormuz and end to naval blockade
Source and signal
- Internal intake