Trump threatens to bomb bridges and power plants unless Iran resumes talks
Trump earlier reversed a threat of a 20% fee on all Strait of Hormuz cargo shipping but resumed blockading Iranian ports. The escalation in rhetoric comes...
Key points
- Trump earlier reversed a threat of a 20% fee on all Strait of Hormuz cargo shipping but resumed blockading Iranian ports.
- The escalation in rhetoric comes after Trump said a 20% toll he had threatened to impose in the Strait of Hormuz would be replaced by "massive" trade and investment deals with Gulf states.
- Raising the stakes further, Trump said the US would also reimpose its naval blockade on Iran in a bid to further squeeze the country's struggling economy.
- He also said the strait "is open to ALL Ship traffic except for Iran" and that "oil is flowing like never before, thanks to the awesome Power of the United States Military".
What happened
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Trump earlier reversed a threat of a 20% fee on all Strait of Hormuz cargo shipping but resumed blockading Iranian ports. The escalation in rhetoric comes after Trump said a 20% toll he had threatened to impose in the Strait of Hormuz would be replaced by "massive" trade and investment deals with Gulf states. Raising the stakes further, Trump said the US would also reimpose its naval blockade on Iran in a bid to further squeeze the country's struggling economy. He also said the strait "is open to ALL Ship traffic except for Iran" and that "oil is flowing like never before, thanks to the awesome Power of the United States Military". Speaking later after talks in Washington with the new Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, Trump said: "I don't like the concept of a fee, but at the same time, it's not fair that we're protecting this Strait for the entire world." He said he had changed his initial fee plan after receiving numerous calls from Gulf leaders. In response to Trump's announcement, Iran said it would remain in control of the Strait of Hormuz.