Trump vows to control Hormuz Strait

Washington, July 14 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has said the United States will intensify military operations against Iran, seek control of the Strait of Hormuz and keep striking Iranian military targets while leaving the door open for negotiations if Tehran agrees to a deal.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office after signing executive orders on Utah national monuments and later in an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump said Iran had backed away from an agreement reached only days earlier, forcing Washington to resume military action.

“We’re attacking them tonight and we’re taking out all of their capability for anything having to do with the strait, with the Hormuz Strait. And I think in the end, we will end up just controlling the whole thing,” Trump said.

He added that the US would restore what he called a blockade on Iran.

“We’re putting the blockade back and it’s a blockade, not for anybody but Iran. In other words, anybody doing business with Iran can’t go through. Everyone else will be able to go through. So it’s a blockade. It’s a very strong blockade. The blockade was probably more effective even than hitting them. But I think the combination is the thing that — that really does it.”

Trump said an agreement with Tehran had appeared close before collapsing.

“We had a deal yesterday or the day before yesterday, it was all done and then they broke up that deal immediately because they found out there was something in the deal they didn’t like.”

Despite the renewed military campaign, Trump insisted diplomacy remained an option.

“Yeah, I think a deal is possible. Sure, I do.”

In the Hewitt interview, Trump disclosed that another Iranian nuclear-related facility remained under close watch.

“They don’t have it because we have eyes, you know, with the — with Space Force and everything else, we have a lot of eyes on it. But Pickaxe is possible, you know, a possible target for a nice, big, fat shot right in the front door.”

He added: “No, it is on the list. We’re watching it closely. We see no activity there. They’re not doing well with their nuclear situation. Every time we hear about it, we blow it up… We’ll probably give Pickaxe a shot relatively soon.”

Trump also described Iran’s leadership as “stone-cold, crazy people” and accused Tehran of repeatedly abandoning negotiated agreements.

“We had a deal where we won everything and they basically break the deals. You know, they make deals and, to them, deals are made to be broken. They are extremely unreliable people.”The President argued that months of US operations had severely weakened Iran’s armed forces.

“We knocked out their Navy in a period of one month. We knocked out their air force. Their air force is nonexistent. We knocked out most of their missiles, most of their drones.”

He repeated that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon remained the central US objective.

“Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump also said Gulf partners benefiting from US military protection should help bear the financial burden.

“I want to be reimbursed because we’re protecting a very rich portion of the world.”

Naming Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, he said the United States was protecting its regional allies despite no longer depending on Middle Eastern oil for its own energy needs.

–IANS

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