The president Donald Trump announced this Sunday a naval blockade against Iran, effective from 10 AM this Monday, aimed at preventing the Persian country from selling oil in international markets.
"At 10 a.m. tomorrow we have a blockade that takes effect. Other nations are working to prevent Iran from selling oil, and that will be very effective," Trump stated at a press conference.
The announcement comes after the failure of the negotiations mediated by Pakistan in Islamabad, where Vice President JD Vance indicated that Iran "did not show determination to refrain from developing nuclear weapons in the long term."
Trump was unequivocal about the Iranian nuclear program: "Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. There is no way they can achieve it. They still want it, and they made that clear the other night. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon."
The leader described Iran's military status as devastated, stating that its navy is sunk with 158 destroyed ships, its missiles "largely depleted," and its missile and drone manufacturing capability "largely defeated."
Regarding the possibility of resuming negotiations, Trump took a defiant stance: "I don't care if they come back or not. If they don't come back, I'm fine."
Trump also accused Iran of having broken its promise to open the Strait of Hormuz. "We have been very kind. We haven't blown up too many bridges. We only did one because they broke their word. Their promise was to open the Strait of Hormuz. They didn't do it. They lied," he stated.
The blockade occurs within the framework of the Epic Fury Operation, a joint offensive by the U.S. and Israel that began on February 28, 2026, which destroyed Iranian nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow.
The International Atomic Energy Agency had confirmed in March that Iran possessed 5,500 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%, enough to manufacture nine nuclear bombs.
In the same statement, Trump confirmed that two American aviators rescued from Iranian territory are "in very good shape," and expressed pride in them.
The president also took the opportunity to harshly criticize the NATO. "I am very disappointed with NATO. They were not there for us. We paid billions of dollars for NATO and they were not there. I believe this will be under very serious scrutiny," he warned.
Trump also launched an attack against Pope Leo XIV, whom he described as a "very liberal person" who "doesn't believe in stopping crime" and does not oppose countries having nuclear weapons. "We are not fans of a pope who says it's okay to have a nuclear weapon," he declared.
The pontiff had criticized days earlier the militant rhetoric of Trump against Iran, deeming it "truly unacceptable."
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