Iran taunts Trump, threatens Gulf ports over blockade threat
Iran has mocked Donald Trump while warning that ports across the Persian Gulf could face consequences after the U.S. president announced plans for a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route.
Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, took to the social platform X on Sunday to taunt Washington over rising fuel prices in the United States. In his message, Qalibaf sarcastically told Americans to “enjoy the current pump prices,” suggesting they could rise significantly if tensions escalate.
He warned that with the proposed blockade in place, Americans might soon “look back nostalgically at $4–$5 gasoline.” To underscore his point, Qalibaf shared a screenshot from Google Maps showing a search for “gas station near White House,” with several nearby stations listing prices between roughly $4 and $5 per gallon.
According to AAA, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in the United States currently stands at about $4.13, an increase from roughly $3.63 at the same time last month.
The comments came shortly after Trump announced that the U.S. Navy would begin blocking ships attempting to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway is one of the world’s most strategically important energy corridors and has already seen heightened tensions due to the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump declared that the United States Navy, the “finest in the world,” as he described it, would immediately begin the process of blockading vessels moving through the strait.
Meanwhile, United States Central Command announced that U.S. forces would begin enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports starting at 10 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, which corresponds to 5:30 p.m. in Iran.
Iranian officials strongly condemned the move. A spokesperson for the Iranian military told state media that any attempt by the United States to restrict navigation in international waters would be considered illegal and equivalent to piracy.
The spokesperson also warned that if Iran’s ports are threatened, other ports across the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman could face potential risks as well.