Donald Trump has announced the reinstatement of the naval blockade against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, which however "remains and will remain open."
In a message on the social network Truth, the US president clarified that the reinstatement of the measure is aimed at preventing Iranian ships and their clients or allies from entering and exiting the Strait.
"The Strait of Hormuz is open and will remain open, with or without Iran. We are reinstating the Iranian blockade, so called because it only prevents Iranian ships or customers from entering or leaving. All other countries will be able to use the Strait equally and freely," Trump wrote, announcing the introduction of a sort of toll.
"The United States of America will henceforth be known as 'The Guardian of the Strait of Hormuz,' but as such, and as a matter of fairness, will receive a 20% reimbursement on all shipments, covering all costs necessary to carry out the task of ensuring security in this particularly volatile part of the world. The process and organization will begin immediately," Trump announced.
"We will become the custodians of the Strait, we will maintain control of it and manage it, and we will be compensated for this," the tycoon had said shortly before in an interview with Fox.
"Iran will never allow the US to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz," Khatamolanbia Central Command spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari denied, declaring that "Iran's armed forces will harshly counter any US disruption of commercial shipping and oil tankers outside Iran's established route and without Iran's authorization."
Iranian Revolutionary Guard spokesman Hossein Mohebi: "The US has seriously endangered the security of global oil and gas supplies by interfering in the Strait of Hormuz and must be held accountable. We will continue to forcefully exercise sovereignty and control over the Strait of Hormuz and will force foreigners and their allies to surrender to the will of the Iranian people."
(Unioneonline)
