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World
Trump calls the naval blockade on Iran a "steel wall" after what he described as "hostile" attacks by Iran on US warships.
US President Donald Trump has described the naval blockade imposed on Iran as an "unbreakable steel wall," following what he termed "hostile" attacks by Iran against American warships. The comments came after what the US Central Command called "unprovoked" assaults on US destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz, with Trump also asserting that "the ceasefire remains in place."
Writing on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump detailed the encounter: "Three American destroyers of world-class design crossed the Strait of Hormuz with complete success, under a hail of gunfire. The three destroyers suffered no damage whatsoever." He added that "serious damage was inflicted on the attacking Iranian vessels. They were completely destroyed, along with several small boats used as a substitute for the destroyed Iranian naval fleet. The boats sank to the bottom of the sea quickly."
Trump likened the US response to the Iranian attacks, stating: "Missiles were launched at our destroyers, and they were easily shot down. Similarly, drones flew, then burned in the air and fell into the ocean beautifully, just like a butterfly falling into its grave!" He argued that "a normal country would have allowed these destroyers to pass, but Iran is not a normal country," adding that "Iran is led by lunatics, and if they had the chance to use a nuclear weapon, they would do so without hesitation."
However, Trump added, "But that opportunity will never be given to them, and just as we defeated them today, we will defeat them with greater force and more severe violence in the future, if they do not sign their deal quickly!" He concluded his post by referencing the blockade: "Our three destroyers and their magnificent crews will join our naval blockade, which is truly a wall of steel."
Prior to these skirmishes, Washington had put forward a proposal to formally end the conflict. However, the proposal does not address core US demands, namely the suspension of Iran's nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's oil and gas supplies passed before the war. Washington is still awaiting Iran's response to the proposal, which would halt the fighting but leave the most sensitive issues, such as the Iranian nuclear program, unresolved at this stage.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) had previously announced that US forces repelled "unprovoked" attacks by the Iranian navy. It stated that its forces responded with "defensive" strikes while US Navy guided-missile destroyers were transiting the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM confirmed that US forces "destroyed incoming threats and targeted the Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking US forces."
The command reported that Iran used missiles, drones, and small boats in the attack, while US forces targeted Iranian missile launch sites, drone positions, and other locations in response.
