Trump: We will impose a complete blockade only on ships coming from and to Iranian ports

The naval blockade announced by U.S. President Donald Trump to be reimposed on Iran came into effect yesterday evening, as U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced strikes on sites in several Iranian cities, including Bushehr. Despite this, the U.S. president stated that reaching an agreement with Iran remains “possible,” emphasizing that the Strait of Hormuz will remain open to international navigation.

Trump told reporters from the Oval Office: “Yes, I believe that reaching an agreement with Iran is possible. I certainly believe that.” He added: “We reached an agreement with them two days ago, but then they said we cannot finalize this agreement. We must continue negotiating on it.”

He considered that “the blockade was more effective than military strikes, but I believe that combining both approaches is what yields the desired result.” Trump noted that the war with Iran had not yet exceeded four months, explaining that Iran’s capabilities were insufficient to confront the United States. He added: “We have destroyed 98% of Iran’s missile capabilities. We have eliminated 92% of its ability to manufacture drones, and we have destroyed between 80% and 90% of its manufacturing capabilities for missiles. We have destroyed its naval capabilities and killed its leadership from the first and second tiers.”

In a subsequent post on his Truth Social account, the U.S. president affirmed that “oil is flowing in unprecedented abundance, thanks to the immense power of the U.S. military.” He extended “special greetings to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, and Commander of U.S. Central Command Admiral Brad Cooper. Thanks to them, and to all members of the strongest military in the world, the Strait of Hormuz is open to all ships except Iran, due to its false, violent, and resentful leadership that is leading it toward total destruction.” He added, “Therefore, we will impose a complete blockade, but only on ships coming from or to Iranian ports, or those carrying any Iranian cargo.”

For its part, CENTCOM stated in a statement via its X account early yesterday that the latest wave of military strikes against Iran had ended, with the aim of further undermining its ability to attack commercial navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement on its official X account, CENTCOM said: “During the five-hour operation, U.S. forces successfully struck military targets across Iran, including Bushehr, Chabahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa, and Bandar Abbas, with the aim of further undermining Tehran’s ability to attack commercial navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”

The statement added: “U.S. Central Command forces used precision-guided munitions during this operation against coastal defense systems, missile and drone sites, and Iranian naval capabilities.” The command announced that more than 50,000 U.S. soldiers are currently deployed across the Middle East, affirming that “U.S. forces will remain in a state of vigilance and high combat readiness.”

CENTCOM further stated that these strikes would continue to inflict heavy losses on Iranian forces and undermine their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.