‘Ridiculous’: Iran Army’s Navy Chief Fires Back At US President Trump Over Hormuz Strait Blockade Threat
Tehran’s Navy Chief, Shahram Irani, dismissed President Trump’s threats to blockade the Strait of Hormuz as "ridiculous and funny," claiming Iranian forces maintain total surveillance over U.S. movements in the strategic waterway.
- World News
- 4 min read
New Delhi: Iran's Navy Chief Shahram Irani called US President Donald Trump's threat to blockade the Strait of Hormuz "ridiculous", after marathon talks between Tehran and Washington in Pakistan failed to deliver a deal to end the Middle East war.
"The brave men of the naval force of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran are monitoring and supervising all the movements of the aggressive American army in the region. The threats of the US president to blockade Iran at sea... are very ridiculous and funny," he said, according to state TV.
‘Monitoring Every Movement’
Admiral Irani asserted that the Iranian military maintains total surveillance over the region and is not intimidated by the presence of U.S. naval assets.
"The brave men of the naval force of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran are monitoring and supervising all the movements of the aggressive American army in the region," Irani said. “The threats of the U.S. president to blockade Iran at sea... are very ridiculous and funny.”
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The Admiral’s remarks come just 24 hours after President Trump announced on social media that the U.S. Navy would begin "blockading any and all ships" attempting to enter or leave the Strait. Trump warned that any Iranian force attempting to interfere or "fire at us" would be “blown to hell.”
US' blockade in Strait of Hormuz
In a fresh statement on Monday, Donald Trump said that the United States will blockade ships entering or exiting Iranian ports on April 13 at 10:00 AM ET.
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This comes after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the blockade would apply to all Iranian ports, starting Monday at 10 AM EDT (5:30 PM in Iran and 7:30 PM in India), contradicting Trump’s earlier warning of a complete shutdown.
Earlier, after failed US-Iran ceasefire negotiations in Pakistan, President Donald Trump on Sunday said the US Navy would swiftly begin a blockade of ships entering or leaving the strategic Strait of Hormuz. However, CENTCOM mentioned that ships travelling between non-Iranian ports would still be allowed to pass through the strait. It said the measure would be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations.”
Trump's threat
In a social media post, Trump had said, “Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz."
He also accused Iran of attempting to control passage through the route. Referring to alleged plans to mine the strait and impose tolls, Trump described the move as “WORLD EXTORTION, and Leaders of Countries, especially the United States of America, will never be extorted.”
Full Control Claim
Iran responded with a warning. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard said the strait remains under Iran’s “full control” and is open to non-military vessels, but added that military ships would face a “forceful response.”
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who led Tehran’s delegation in the talks, issued a direct message: “If you fight, we will fight.”
Islamabad Talks
The 21-hours marathon negotiations between the United States and Iran in Islamabad ended in a stalemate on Sunday. US Vice President JD Vance said that no agreement had been reached despite extensive discussions.
"We've had a number of substance agreements with the Iranians- that is the good news. The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement. That is bad news for Iran, much more than it is bad news for the United States of America."