- US President Donald Trump said US Navy acts like "pirates" during operations in Hormuz Strait
- Trump boasted about seizing ships, cargo, and oil as a "profitable business" at a Florida rally
- Iran called US interceptions of tankers "armed robbery" and accused Washington of piracy
US President Donald Trump said that the US Navy is acting like "pirates" in waters and boasted about how operations take place while seizing ships amid the blockade of Iranian ports.
"We ... land on top of it and we took over the ship. We took over the cargo, took over the oil. It's a very profitable business," Trump said on Saturday while addressing a rally in Florida.
As the crowd cheered, he said, "We're like pirates. We're sort of like pirates. But we're not playing games."
Iran Calls It "Armed Robbery"
After American forces intercepted two tankers said to be transporting Iranian crude, Iran reacted strongly on Tuesday, branding the move "armed robbery on the high seas" and accusing Washington of breaching international law.
Read | Iran Lost $4,800,000,000 In Oil Revenue Due To US Blockade: Report
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the operation effectively endorsed piracy.
He described it as "the outright legalisation of piracy and armed robbery on the high seas". Writing on X, Baghaei added that the world was witnessing "the return of the pirates", alleging that US authorities were cloaking what he called unlawful seizures in legal justifications.
Iran has blocked nearly all ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz apart from its own since the start of the war. Trump has imposed a separate blockade of Iranian ports.
The US Central Command, responsible for US forces in the Middle East, said it has redirected 45 vessels to "ensure compliance" with its blockade as of Friday.
Raead | Donald Trump Says Iran Blockade Incredible' as Oil Prices Keep Rising
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth told reporters in April that the blockade will last "as long as it takes", while top US military officer General Dan Caine said it "applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports."
Meanwhile, Iran has vowed to maintain its chokehold on the strait as long as Washington continues to blockade its ports.
