By Gloria Ogbonna
President Donald Trump declared on Saturday that the United States “will not be blackmailed” after Iran’s military once again threatened to close the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and reports emerged of vessels coming under fire near the waterway.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said his administration is engaged in “very good conversations” with Tehran but accused the Iranian regime of attempting to pressure Washington by escalating tensions at sea.
“They can’t blackmail us,” Trump said firmly. He suggested that while diplomatic discussions are ongoing, Iran was trying to act “a little cute” by signaling it would shut down the Strait just hours after indicating that the critical shipping lane would remain open.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important energy chokepoints in the world, with a significant portion of global oil shipments passing through the narrow corridor connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. Any disruption to maritime traffic there can send shockwaves through global markets, driving up oil prices and raising fears of broader instability.
Trump noted that many international shipping companies have already begun rerouting supply chains, with some turning to U.S. energy exports sourced from the Gulf of America rather than relying on oil transported through the volatile Persian Gulf region.
“We’re in a strong position,” the president said, adding that further details regarding the status of negotiations with Iran would be released later in the day.
Meanwhile, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, indicated there is currently no set date for additional peace talks between Washington and Tehran. Speaking on the sidelines of a forum in Turkey, Khatibzadeh said both sides must first agree on a negotiating “framework” before formal discussions can resume.
“We hope that as soon as we can finalise that, then we can move on to the next step,” he said, signaling that diplomatic progress may be slower than anticipated.
The renewed tensions follow a statement from an Iranian military spokesman who warned that Tehran would not guarantee safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz until the United States lifts what it describes as a blockade on Iranian ships.
That blockade poses a serious economic challenge for Iran. Analysts have warned that continued restrictions on oil exports could force the country to shut down certain oil wells permanently, as storage facilities reach capacity. Halting crude production abruptly can damage extraction equipment and lead to long-term losses in output — a scenario that would further strain Iran’s already pressured economy.
Despite diplomatic overtures, reports of maritime violence on Saturday added new uncertainty. According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a container ship off the coast of Oman was struck by an “unknown projectile,” causing damage to several containers. Separately, two merchant vessels reported being targeted by gunfire, raising concerns that hostilities may be intensifying rather than subsiding.
It remains unclear how these incidents will affect ongoing negotiations. Just a day earlier, President Trump claimed that Iran was eager to return to the negotiating table and had agreed “in principle” to abandon its nuclear ambitions — a potentially major breakthrough if formalized.
The latest flare-up also casts doubt on plans announced Friday by several European NATO allies — including Britain, France, Germany, and Italy — to deploy naval vessels to the Strait of Hormuz as part of a peacekeeping mission. That initiative was reportedly based on the assumption that active hostilities had ceased.
Speaking later at a Turning Point USA event, Trump criticized European allies for what he described as delayed support.
“Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is nearly over, I received a call from NATO asking if we would like some help,” Trump said. “I told them I would have liked your help two months ago, but now I really don’t want your help anymore, because they were absolutely useless when we needed them.”
He added that, in his view, the United States must prioritize self-reliance in matters of national security and global stability.
“If it teaches us any one thing, we have to rely on ourselves,” Trump said. “We can’t rely on outside countries and outside sources.”
As tensions simmer in one of the world’s most sensitive maritime corridors, the coming days may prove critical in determining whether diplomacy prevails — or whether the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz escalates into a broader regional confrontation.
Source Breitbart