Category: Military Action

Trump Announces Blockade on Iran’s Strait That Iran Already has Blockaded

President Donald Trump announced on Fox News Sunday that the United States will impose a naval blockade on all vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz following the collapse of 21-hour negotiations with Iran. Trump claimed Iran refused to abandon its nuclear weapons program, which he characterized as the sole obstacle to an agreement, despite asserting that Iranian military capabilities were “obliterated” and its leadership “gone.”

During the phone interview with Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo, Trump stated the blockade would take time to implement but become “effective pretty soon.” He claimed Iran’s negotiating position relied solely on the threat of deploying mines in the strait, which he described as “extortion” against global shipping. Trump portrayed the talks as “very friendly” while insisting Iran’s refusal on nuclear weapons was disqualifying.

Trump represented the talks as led by Vice President JD Vance, advisor Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner, describing the American delegation as “very, very good representatives.” He dismissed Iran’s negotiating stance by claiming its military had been effectively destroyed and its top leadership, including Supreme Leader Khamenei, was “gone,” assertions unsupported by documented fact.

The blockade announcement follows Trump’s earlier escalating threats against Iran and his demands that NATO members support his Iran war. Trump’s unilateral decision to blockade a critical international waterway represents a significant militarization of the conflict without apparent diplomatic alternatives or international coordination.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/were-going-to-be-blockading-trump-calls-in-to-fox-news-after-very-friendly-talks-with-iran-collapse/)

Trump Falsely Claims Military Cleared Hormuz Strait

President Donald Trump posted unsubstantiated claims on Truth Social early Saturday morning asserting that the United States military was “clearing out” the Strait of Hormuz and that oil tankers worldwide were heading to America to “load up” with petroleum. Trump framed the action as a favor to allied nations including China, Japan, South Korea, France, and Germany, claiming these countries lack “the Courage or Will” to perform such work themselves. The posts came as domestic gasoline prices remained elevated following Trump’s month-long military campaign against Iran.

Trump used the Saturday morning posts to make sweeping claims about purported Iranian military losses, stating Tehran’s navy, air force, anti-aircraft systems, radar capabilities, and missile and drone factories had been “largely obliterated.” He also boasted that Iran’s “longtime leaders are no longer with us,” referencing targeted killings during the conflict. Trump claimed Iran’s remaining naval threat was limited to 28 sea mines, asserting all 28 mine-laying vessels had been sunk.

The disinformation posts coincided with active ceasefire negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, where Vice President JD Vance led the American delegation and Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf headed Iran’s team. Trump had stated Friday that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen “fairly soon, with or without” Iran’s cooperation, threatening unilateral action. Iran previously signaled negotiations would only proceed if prior agreements were honored, including a ceasefire in Lebanon and restoration of frozen assets, conditions Washington disputed.

In a separate Truth Social post, Trump stated he was “watching fertilizer prices CLOSELY” during the conflict and threatened to prevent “PRICE GOUGING from the fertilizer monopoly.” The posts illustrated Trump’s use of the platform to make unverified military and economic claims while delegating diplomatic duties to subordinates; Trump’s official schedule showed him traveling to Miami to attend UFC 327 while Vance conducted peace talks.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-rant-oil-tankers-iran-b2955817.html)

Trump Claims Iran Deal Outcome Irrelevant to US

Trump claimed on April 11 that whether the United States reaches a deal with Iran makes “no difference” to American interests, stating “regardless of what happens, we win.” He characterized Iran’s military capabilities as minimal, asserting the US had “defeated them militarily,” while Vice President JD Vance led intensive negotiations in Islamabad as part of what Trump described as “very deep discussions.”

Trump’s dismissal of deal outcomes contradicts the significance typically placed on diplomatic agreements with hostile nations. His public indifference toward negotiation results, combined with claims of Iranian military weakness, frames the ongoing talks within a narrative of American dominance rather than mutual accommodation or genuine diplomacy.

The president also issued a warning to China, threatening “big problems” if the nation supplies arms to Iran. This warning accompanied his broader positioning of the Iran discussions, which Trump framed as predetermined victories for the United States regardless of diplomatic resolution.

Trump’s statements align with prior announcements of a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz following failed negotiations, part of a pattern of escalatory military posturing. His rhetoric de-emphasizes the value of negotiated settlements while emphasizing unilateral American strength and willingness to act militarily if diplomatic talks do not yield his preferred outcomes.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/iran-trump-peace-talks-video-b2956017.html)

Trump Pushes Automatic Draft Registration After Five Dodges

Trump, who evaded the military draft five times during the Vietnam War era through student deferments and a bone spur diagnosis at age 22, is now directing his administration to implement automatic draft registration for 18-year-old males. The Selective Service System has proposed eliminating voluntary self-registration and instead automatically populating its lists from federal databases, a policy Trump approved in December and which awaits regulatory review.

The automatic registration proposal arrives as Trump pursues aggressive military expansion abroad, contradicting his 2024 campaign promises and his self-styled “President of Peace” branding. He has launched wars against Iran and Venezuela, threatened military action against U.S. allies including Mexico, Colombia, Panama, and Greenland, and stated intentions to erase Iran’s “whole civilization.” These actions signal potential reliance on emergency draft measures unused since the 1973 end of the Vietnam War.

Trump has a documented pattern of disrespect toward military personnel, reportedly calling veterans “losers” and “suckers” in private conversations. Additionally, he is exploring whether to award himself the Congressional Medal of Honor, which would make him the first recipient since its 1861 establishment to receive the honor without military service. Despite attending the New York Military Academy, a military-style boarding school, Trump never served in any capacity in the armed forces.

The hypocrisy is stark: the president who avoided mandatory military service five times now seeks to bind teenagers to automatic enrollment in a draft system he himself circumvented. This policy deepens the double standard inherent in forcing working-class youth to assume obligations the wealthy and politically connected have historically evaded.

(Source: https://www.thedailybeast.com/draft-dodging-peace-president-donald-trump-to-register-boys-for-military-draft-at-18/)

Trump is expected to meet with Rutte as he muses about pulling out of NATO | PBS News

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump on Wednesday to address Trump’s threats to withdraw the United States from NATO over the alliance’s refusal to support his war against Iran. Trump demanded NATO members help reopen the Strait of Hormuz after Iran closed it, and when several allied nations refused or restricted use of their airspace for U.S. military operations, Trump responded by threatening to leave the alliance and suggesting the U.S. may abandon countries that do not meet his demands.

Trump escalated tensions by threatening to bomb Iran’s civilian infrastructure, declaring that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran did not capitulate by an 8 p.m. deadline. Following this threat, the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday that includes reopening the strait, though details of the plan remain unclear and are expected to dominate Wednesday’s meeting with Rutte. The ceasefire followed Trump’s extreme rhetoric, which he now appears willing to back away from as negotiations proceed.

Trump’s demands that NATO allies fund his war of choice represent a fundamental misuse of the alliance’s mutual defense agreement, which obligates members to defend each other only against attacks, not to finance one nation’s discretionary military campaigns. Trump has repeatedly threatened NATO withdrawal and called the alliance a “paper tiger” despite Congress passing a 2023 law requiring presidential approval from Congress to leave NATO, a safeguard enacted precisely because Trump claimed during his first term he could unilaterally abandon the alliance.

Republican Senator Mitch McConnell issued a statement in support of NATO, reminding Trump that alliance members sent troops to die alongside Americans in Afghanistan and Iraq following the September 11 attacks. McConnell urged Trump to focus on deterring adversaries rather than “nursing grudges with allies,” directly contradicting Trump’s position that NATO allies owe him support for his Iran conflict.

Trump’s hostility toward NATO intensified after he reduced U.S. military support for Ukraine and threatened to seize Greenland from Denmark, actions that have already destabilized the transatlantic relationship. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whom Trump has singled out for particular criticism, was traveling to the Gulf on Wednesday to support the ceasefire, while NATO members including Spain and France worked on developing a post-conflict security plan for the Strait of Hormuz despite Trump’s demands.

(Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/world/trump-is-expected-to-meet-with-rutte-as-he-muses-about-pulling-out-of-nato)

Trump Threatens Iran Annihilation by 8 PM Deadline

President Donald Trump escalated threats against Iran on Tuesday, declaring that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if the country does not capitulate to his demands by an 8 p.m. Eastern Time deadline. Trump’s ultimatum requires Iran to agree to a peace deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face bombardment of civilian infrastructure including bridges, power plants, and desalination facilities. Trump stated the U.S. possesses plans to destroy Iran’s infrastructure within four hours and return the country to the “stone ages,” continuing a pattern of threats he first issued on March 21.

Trump has repeatedly extended his original 48-hour deadline while oscillating between apocalyptic threats and claims that negotiations are proceeding well. On Sunday, Trump told ABC News he would “blow up the entire country” if no agreement was reached. On Monday, he told White House reporters the country “could be taken out in one night,” while simultaneously stating “maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen” with Iran’s current leadership. When confronted about whether such attacks would constitute war crimes under international law, Trump dismissed the concern and argued that Iran possessing nuclear weapons constitutes the actual war crime.

Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran continued via mediators including Pakistan, with the U.S. attempting to broker a 45-day ceasefire ahead of Trump’s deadline. Iran rejected a U.S.-backed mediator proposal on Monday and offered its own 10-point plan described by a U.S. official as maximalist. The New York Times reported Tuesday that Iran told Pakistan it was no longer engaging in ceasefire talks, though ABC News has not independently confirmed this claim. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that “only the President knows where things stand and what he will do.”

Iran vowed a “regret-inducing” response if the U.S. attacks its energy infrastructure, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps told neighboring Gulf countries it would no longer exercise “restraint” in selecting regional targets for retaliation. Iran’s deputy minister of sports and youth called for citizens to form human chains around power plants in response to Trump’s threats.

Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin expressed hope that Trump’s threats are “bluster” and stated his opposition to destroying civilian infrastructure, saying “We are not at war with the Iranian people. We are trying to liberate them.” Legal experts have warned that attacks on civilian infrastructure could violate international law and constitute war crimes, though Trump dismissed such concerns as irrelevant.

(Source: https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-hours-deadline-threatens-irans-civilization-die-tonight/story?id=131797915)

Trump Kicks Off Presser With Haunting Threat Against Iran

During a Monday press conference, President Donald Trump opened remarks about the rescue of two American military pilots by threatening Iran with annihilation, stating the country “could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night.” Trump framed the pilot rescue as a major military achievement while escalating his rhetoric about the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Trump claimed the rescue mission represented “one of the largest, most complex most harrowing combat searches” ever attempted, describing U.S. operations in the region as succeeding “at a level that nobody’s ever seen before.” The president also characterized the Easter holiday as “one of our better Easters” partly due to military performance, conflating religious observance with military aggression.

The threat came after Trump posted to Truth Social on Easter Sunday that “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” explicitly targeting civilian infrastructure. Trump’s post included vulgar language directed at Iran and referenced the Strait of Hormuz, demonstrating a pattern of escalating threats against Iranian civilian targets that violate post-World War II international law prohibiting attacks on non-military locations.

Trump’s rhetoric follows previous threats to commit war crimes against Iran at a White House briefing where he falsely blamed American journalists for revealing the downed pilot’s location, despite an Israeli journalist citing Iranian state media breaking the story first. Trump demanded identification and prosecution of the alleged leaker while dismissing concerns about violations of international law prohibiting civilian infrastructure attacks.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei rejected a U.S. ceasefire proposal and stated that Iran is reviewing a Pakistani-authored pause plan ahead of Trump’s deadline. Baghaei emphasized that negotiations are incompatible with ultimatums and threats to commit war crimes, indicating Iran views Trump’s public threats as precluding serious diplomatic engagement.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-issues-haunting-threat-iran-could-be-taken-out-in-one-night-and-that-night-might-be-tomorrow-night/)

Trump Threatens Iran War Crimes, Falsely Blames Media for Pilot Leak

During a Monday White House briefing, Trump used a press conference ostensibly about a successful pilot rescue to threaten extensive war crimes against Iran, including attacks on civilian infrastructure like bridges, power plants, and desalinization facilities. Trump falsely claimed that American journalists had revealed the downed pilot's location to Iran, when an Israeli journalist citing Iranian state media actually broke the story first, then demanded the identification and prosecution of the supposed leaker.

Trump reiterated threats to destroy Iran's civilian infrastructure after an 8 p.m. Tuesday deadline, stating "they're gonna have no bridges, they're gonna have no power plants" and describing the outcome as returning Iran to the "stone ages." When confronted about violations of post-World War II international law prohibiting attacks on civilian targets, Trump dismissed the concern and attacked the New York Times reporter who posed the question rather than address the substance of the war crimes allegation.

Trump claimed he had intercepted communications from Iranians urging the U.S. to continue bombing their neighborhoods, asserting they would "suffer that in order to have freedom" under his campaign to weaken Iran's government. He also proposed that the U.S. could charge "tolls" for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, framing such extraction as payment for a war he claimed the U.S. had already won, despite ongoing conflict.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth spent the briefing praising Trump for ordering a routine rescue mission as if it were an extraordinary achievement, with Hegseth claiming the current bombing campaign represents the "largest volume" of munitions dropped on Iran since the war began. Trump also employed a racist slur during the event, underscoring the press conference's chaotic and inflammatory tone.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei rejected a U.S. ceasefire proposal and stated that Iran is reviewing a Pakistani-authored pause plan ahead of Trump's deadline. Baghaei emphasized that negotiations are incompatible with ultimatums and threats to commit war crimes, and that Iran would release its formal response in due time.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-iran-press-conference-war-crime-threats-b2952604.html)

Donald Trump Doubles Down on Iran Threat in New Interview

During an ABC News interview on Sunday, Trump escalated threats against Iran, stating the conflict must conclude “in days” or he will “blow up the whole country” with “very little” off the table. Trump claimed “no sane group of people could stand the punishment” if a deal is not reached, while simultaneously stating he has “no idea” whether a deal will materialize and refusing to extend his deadline.

Trump’s threats followed a vulgar Easter Truth Social post promising “Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day” in Iran and demanding the country “open the Fuckin’ Strait.” When asked if anything would be off-limits in military action, Trump said “very little,” and he did not rule out deploying American ground troops despite saying it is not currently necessary.

Trump also claimed he was “testing NATO” on the Strait of Hormuz, characterizing the alliance as a “paper tiger” with “no ships” and “no nothing.” He asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin has “zero fear” of NATO, contradicting his earlier use of the alliance to justify military pressure on Iran.

The Republican’s statements represent a continuation of his pattern of threatening military escalation against Iran without clear diplomatic strategy. Trump previously threatened to “blow everything up and take over the oil” and warned that “bridges and power plants” would be destroyed, language echoed in his latest remarks to ABC News.

Trump’s threats constitute abuse of power and reckless military posturing that endangers American service members and destabilizes global security. His simultaneous threats to withdraw from NATO while invoking the alliance for Iran operations demonstrate incoherent foreign policy driven by personal grievance rather than national strategy.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-doubles-down-on-iran-threat-in-new-interview-after-his-shocking-post-if-theres-no-deal-were-blowing-up-the-whole-country/)

Trump Threatens War Crimes Of Iran Oil Seizure, Power Plant Destruction

Donald Trump threatened military action against Iran, stating he would “blow everything up and take over the oil” if negotiations for a deal are not completed by Monday. Trump also warned that “bridges and power plants” across Iran would be targeted for destruction if an agreement is not reached quickly, according to remarks made during a Fox News interview on Sunday.

Trump claimed that Iran is currently engaged in negotiations and expressed confidence a deal is possible within the stated timeframe. His threats escalate the military confrontation with Iran that has already destabilized global energy markets, raising the stakes for broader regional conflict and economic disruption.

Trump asserted without evidence that the United States attempted to supply arms to Iranian protesters in January and suggested Kurdish forces may have retained those weapons. These claims lack substantiation and appear designed to justify further military aggression against the nation.

The president’s ultimatum to seize Iranian oil resources constitutes a threat of illegal war of aggression and theft of a sovereign nation’s natural resources. Combined with threats to destroy critical civilian infrastructure including power plants, Trump’s statements describe potential crimes against humanity that have prompted massive nationwide protests under the “No Kings” banner opposing his Iran war policies.

These threats demonstrate Trump’s willingness to pursue unilateral military action and resource seizure to force compliance with his demands, disregarding international law and the sovereignty of Iran.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/trump-iran-war-oil-deal-b2952169.html)

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