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The president Donald Trump published a strong message this Monday declaring that the Iranian navy has been "completely destroyed" following the sinking of 158 ships.
His statements were made on the platform Truth Social, following the failure of peace negotiations in Islamabad and the implementation of the U.S. naval blockade on "every single ship attempting to enter or exit the Straits of Hormuz."
"The Iranian navy lies at the bottom of the sea, completely destroyed: 158 ships," Trump wrote in a message that coincides with the start of the naval blockade, effective from 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time this Monday.
The president warned that the so-called Iranian "fast attack ships," which have not been attacked so far, will be eliminated if they approach the U.S. blockade.
"If any of these ships approaches our BLOCKADE, it will be ELIMINATED immediately, using the same elimination system we employ against drug traffickers on ships at sea. It's fast and brutal," said Trump.
The message arrives one day after the collapse of the highest-level conversations between Washington and Tehran since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
The talks, mediated by Pakistan and held on April 11 and 12, lasted 21 hours without reaching any agreement.
The U.S. delegation was headed by Vice President JD Vance, along with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, while the Iranian delegation was led by the President of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Chancellor Abbas Araghchi.
The main stumbling block was the nuclear program: Washington demanded the complete dismantling of uranium enrichment, while Teherán refused to relinquish that right.
"We have not reached an agreement... They have chosen not to accept our terms," Vance stated after the talks failed, adding that it was a bad news for Iran much more than for the United States.
Trump, for his part, described the discussions as "a good meeting, except for the nuclear weapons".
The naval blockade announced by Trump targets exclusively vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports, according to the U.S. Central Command, with the aim of cutting Iran's oil exports and applying pressure on China, its main buyer.
The destruction of the Iranian navy has occurred gradually since the beginning of the Epic Fury Operation, launched on February 28, 2026 by the U.S. and Israel against the Iranian nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow.
The Central Command reported the detection of 11 ships destroyed in the Gulf of Oman on March 3, over 60 vessels including 16 minesweepers near the Strait of Hormuz between March 11 and 12, and more than 90 ships in the Persian Gulf on March 18.
Iran responded by blocking the Strait of Hormuz on March 4 with mines, drones, and missiles, stranding around 2,000 ships with 20,000 sailors and halting 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas, which caused the price of Brent crude to jump from 67 to over 126 dollars per barrel.
Trump also boasted in his message that 98.2% of the drugs entering the U.S. by sea have been intercepted, linking both naval operations.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, chief negotiator with the United States, posted a map of gasoline prices in the Washington area on social media with the comment: “Enjoy the current figures at the pump. With the so-called blockade, you will soon feel nostalgic for gasoline at 4 or 5 dollars.”
Pakistani, Egyptian, and Turkish mediators continue to work on organizing a new round of negotiations before April 21, the date when the current ceasefire expires.
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