U.S. warns buyers of Iranian oil face prosecution risk after Strait of Hormuz blockade order
•‘Iranian ships to be ‘immediately eliminated’ if they come close to blockade’ The United States has said it will “vigorously prosecute” anyone involved in buying or selling sanctioned Iranian oil,
•‘Iranian ships to be ‘immediately eliminated’ if they come close to blockade’
The United States has said it will “vigorously prosecute” anyone involved in buying or selling sanctioned Iranian oil, as tensions rise after President Donald Trump announced a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The move comes after US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad failed on Sunday to reach an agreement to end the war that began on February 28.
“The Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute anyone who buys or sells sanctioned Iranian oil. The Department of Justice fully supports our Commander in Chief @POTUS and our military,” US acting attorney general Todd Blanche said in a post on X.
Yesterday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces will start enforcing a blockade on maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports from April 13 at 10 am ET, following a presidential order.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has said that Iran’s “fast attack ships” will be “immediately eliminated” if they come close to the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
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“Iran’s Navy is laying at the bottom of the sea, completely obliterated - 158 ships. What we have not hit are their small number of, what they call, ‘fast attack ships,’ because we did not consider them much of a threat,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
“Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our blockade, they will be immediately eliminated, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at sea.”
His warning came right after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) began implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports.
Earlier, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it has been informed that effective from 1400 UTC (1400GMT) Monday, maritime access restrictions are being enforced affecting Iranian ports and coastal areas.
The “access restrictions apply without distinction to vessels of any flag engaging with Iranian ports, oil terminals, or coastal facilities,” said the agency.
Based on information currently available, the UKMTO said the restrictions encompass the entirety of the Iranian coastline, including ports and energy infrastructure.
