(WND)—On Friday Iranian officials agreed that the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil supplies pass en route to consumers, was open.
Saturday, they said it’s closed.
And in doing so they opened the door for a U.S. military plan to seize that nation’s ships, wherever they may be.
A report at the Hill said American service members are “readying to board ships linked to Iran and seize commercial vessels in international waters in the coming days.”
That would follow a naval blockade as President Donald Trump, who joined Iran in the Strait announcement on Friday, expands his barrier to traffic in and out of Iranian ports, the report said.
Trump’s blockade there already had turned around 23 vessels that tried to leave Iranian ports recently, and its goal is to apply economic pressure to the rogue Islamic regime to reach a longterm resolution to “Operation Epic Fury,” which was launched to take away from the regime the ability to threaten the world with its plans for nuclear weapons and missiles.
Reportedly, Iran attacked several ships in or near the Strait on Saturday.
Just a day earlier, its foreign minister claimed the waterway was completely open.
Then they reneged, announcing, “It is announced that until the US ends its obstruction of the full freedom of movement of vessels from and to Iran, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain under strict control and in its previous state.”
Trump told reporters, “They wanted to close up the strait again, as they’ve been doing for years. They can’t blackmail us.”
He expressed that “talks” with Iran and Pakistan were going “very well.”
And he warned, to reporters during an Air Force One gaggle, the U.S. could “drop bombs again.”
There was confirmation in a report from the New York Post that the U.S. is reportedly weighing plans to board and sezie Tehran-linked oil tankers worldwide — eyeing a dramatic escalation against Iran at sea.
The report explained, “Those discussions come as tensions spike in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian forces fired on multiple commercial vessels Saturday and declared the vital shipping lane under their ‘strict control.'”
It had been Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi who had promised the strait was open.
The report noted that the Iranian actions are bringing Iran-linked ships around the globe into the fight.
“The U.S. will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran,” Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine confirmed.
The Iranian temporary move toward an open strait followed a demand, a ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed militants of Hezbollah in Lebanon. President Trump had confirmed that status for 10 days, which is ticking.
Iran historically has been exporting 1.6 million barrels of oil a day, much to China.
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