
US President Donald Trump announced that any Iranian attack boats approaching the American naval blockade around Iran’s ports would be destroyed. This warning comes despite international calls for a ceasefire and renewed negotiations. The US military stated the blockade, effective 1400 GMT, applies to all ships leaving or seeking to dock at Iranian harbors. Trump, in a social media post, claimed that if Iran's remaining "fast attack ships" approach the blockade, they would be "immediately ELIMINATED." He also mentioned 34 ships passed through the strait on Sunday, a figure not immediately corroborated. The blockade was announced after a US delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance, failed to secure a deal with Iranian officials in Pakistan to end the war, which began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes on Tehran. A two-week truce, agreed upon last Wednesday, was still being urged for respect by mediators Pakistan and Qatar. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed efforts were underway to resolve outstanding issues. Trump indicated that Iranian representatives had called to make a deal since the Islamabad talks failed. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, however, blamed the US for the impasse, citing "excessive demands." Qatari Foreign Minister and Premier Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani urged both sides to guarantee freedom of navigation. China criticized the blockade, with foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun emphasizing the strait’s importa
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 10 countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.