US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States had seized millions of barrels of Iranian oil and that the US military would continue operations against Iran.
Trump announced new US operations against Iran. PHOTO: Profimedia
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump claimed that US forces had recently intercepted 22 ships carrying Iranian oil.
“We seized millions of barrels of oil. Nobody knows that. Not even Iran knew, until now. A few nights ago we stopped 22 ships. Late at night, no lights“, said the American leader, quoted by CBS News.
Trump added that the United States had struck Iranian radar installations and claimed that these operations had contributed to the rise in oil prices.
New threats to Iran
Hours after the previous night's attacks, Trump warned that the US military would continue operations against Iran and that more strikes would follow.
“We hit them hard yesterday and we will hit them again todayTrump told reporters, according to the BBC.
He reiterated his call for Tehran to accept a deal and claimed that Iran was “completely defeated militarily“.
Earlier, Trump wrote on the Truth Social network that Iran “delayed the negotiations too much” and that “will have to pay the price“.
Iran accuses Washington of sabotaging diplomacy
Iran's foreign ministry has accused the United States of undermining diplomatic efforts through conflicting messages and continued military operations.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in turn, criticized threats of possible attacks on critical infrastructure.
“Critical infrastructure is the lifeblood of the population. Threats to transport networks, energy or water supply are not a show of strength, but a sign of desperation“, he transmitted on the X platform.
The current conflict in the Middle East erupted at the end of February after the attacks launched by the US and Israel on Iran. In April, the two sides agreed to a temporary truce, but continued to periodically exchange blows and recriminations.
