President Donald Trump told Axios he will not lift a naval blockade of Iran’s ports until he secures a deal with Tehran to address the country’s nuclear program, extending a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz that has caused a global energy crisis.
“The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing. They are choking like a stuffed pig. And it is going to be worse for them. They can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said in a telephone interview Wednesday, according to Axios.
Trump said he had rejected a recent proposal from Iran to reopen the strait because it would have delayed talks on the nuclear issue until later.
The blockade lies at the heart of the impasse between the US and Iran, with the Islamic Republic insisting it won’t restart negotiations or reopen the strait as long as the naval restrictions stay in place. Trump says he won’t halt the operation until Iran agrees to a peace deal to end a war that, while now in a ceasefire, is in its ninth week, causing chaos across the Middle East and energy prices to surge.
