US naval siege on Iranian ports is ‘more effective than the bombing’ as oil price soars. US President
US President says the United States will continue its naval blockade of Iran until a nuclear deal is reached with Tehran. On Wednesday, Trump said that he does not want to end the blockage on Iranian ports, apparently rejecting the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz so that US-Iran talks could proceed.
“The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing. They are choking like a stuffed pig,” Trump said of Iran. “And it is going to be worse for them. They can’t have a nuclear weapon.” Iran has set lifting the siege as a precondition for returning to the talks. As per various media reports, Iran offered a limited deal this week that would end its own blockade on Hormuz in exchange for the end of the siege on its ports, as Trump’s comments indicate that he turned down the Iranian proposal. The US president has been emphasising that he is comfortable with the status quo with Iran, and in no rush to push for a comprehensive agreement or return to the fighting. At least two commercial ships linked to Iran have been captured by the US as part of the siege. The deadlock has sent oil prices soaring, fuelling energy inflation in the US, where the price of one gallon of petrol has surpassed $4.22 ($1.11 per liter), up from less than $3 ($0.79 per liter) before the war.
