The United States has resumed its blockade of maritime traffic linked to Iranian ports and launched another wave of strikes against Tehran, with President Donald Trump declaring that Washington ultimately intends to control the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said the military campaign would target Iran’s remaining ability to threaten the strategic shipping route. He also threatened a possible strike on a site referred to as “Pickaxe Mountain”, while maintaining that negotiations could resume if Tehran accepted an agreement.
“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 told reporters at the White House.
US Central Command said it had begun a third consecutive night of strikes against Iran. The operation was intended to reduce Tehran’s ability to attack civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the command.
CENTCOM also said the blockade of ships entering or leaving Iranian ports would resume at 4 pm Eastern Time on July 14.
The order applies to ships travelling to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas. Washington said other commercial traffic would continue to receive safe passage.
Trump says blockade will target Iran and its customers
Trump described the measure as a blockade directed only at Iran and entities trading with it.
“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,” he said.
“The blockade was probably more effective even than hitting them. But I think the combination is the thing that really does it.”
CENTCOM said its forces had redirected more than 140 vessels during an earlier blockade between April 13 and June 18. It claimed nine ships that failed to comply were disabled, while more than 50 vessels carrying humanitarian supplies were allowed to proceed.
Mariners operating in the Gulf of Oman and near the approaches to the Strait of Hormuz have been advised to monitor navigational broadcasts and contact US naval forces through bridge-to-bridge Channel 16.
Trump threatens strike on ‘Pickaxe Mountain’
Trump separately indicated that the site identified as Pickaxe Mountain could be attacked soon.
“They don’t have it because we have eyes, you know, with the Space Force and everything else, we have a lot of eyes on it,” Trump told radio host Hugh Hewitt.
“But Pickaxe is possible, you know, a possible target for a nice, big, fat shot right in the front door.”
Trump said the site remained “on the list” and was under close surveillance.
“We see no activity there. They’re not doing well with their nuclear situation. Every time we hear about it, we blow it up,” he said.
“We’ll probably give Pickaxe a shot relatively soon.”
Trump repeated that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon remained Washington’s principal objective.
“Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
Trump claims deal collapsed before renewed attack
The US President claimed Washington and Tehran had reached an agreement within the previous two days, but said Iran withdrew after objecting to part of the proposed deal.
“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,” he said.
Trump nevertheless said another agreement remained possible.
“Yeah, I think a deal is possible. Sure, I do.”
He accused Iran of repeatedly walking away from negotiated settlements and called its leadership “stone-cold, crazy people”.
“We had a deal where we won everything, and they basically break the deals,” he said.
“You know, they make deals and, to them, deals are made to be broken. They are extremely unreliable people.”
US claims Iran’s military capabilities severely damaged
Trump claimed months of US operations had destroyed Iran’s navy and air force and sharply reduced its missile and drone capabilities.
“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 said.
In separate remarks, Trump claimed Iran’s drone-manufacturing capability had been reduced by about 92 per cent and its missile production by 89 per cent.
The President also claimed Iranian authorities had killed 52,000 protesters.
Trump informs Congress of renewed Iran hostilities
Trump formally notified the US Congress that military operations against Iran had resumed on July 7, according to a July 10 letter cited by CBS News.
The President described the action as “limited, measured, planned, and executed in a manner designed to minimise civilian casualties”.
He said the strikes targeted Iranian military sites viewed by Washington as threats to American forces and commercial shipping.
The notification was submitted under the War Powers Resolution, according to the report.
Trump said US forces remained prepared to take further action against threats to the United States and its regional partners.
Iran rejects US claim over Strait of Hormuz
Iran has rejected Washington’s attempt to control or manage traffic through the Strait.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi mocked Trump’s assertion that the United States would become the waterway’s guardian and seek reimbursement equal to 20 per cent of cargo shipped through it.
“POTUS is absolutely right. Whoever provides secure and safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz should be compensated for this service,” Araghchi wrote on X.
“Iran has always been the GUARDIAN of the Strait and will remain so FOREVER. 20% is of course too much. We will be fair.”
Brigadier General Ebrahim Zolfaghari, the spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said Tehran would not allow the US to interfere in the management of the Strait “under any circumstances”.
He also threatened retaliation if commercial ships or oil tankers travelled outside routes authorised by Iranian forces.
Trump, meanwhile, argued that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait should contribute to the cost of the US operation.
“I want to be reimbursed because we’re protecting a very rich portion of the world,” he said.
Trump is scheduled to address the United States at 9 pm Eastern Time on Thursday, July 16.