Former President Donald Trump drew criticism Friday after comparing U.S. naval operations to piracy while discussing the ongoing blockade of Iranian ports during the current conflict between America, Israel, and Iran.
During Friday evening remarks, Trump referenced a recent vessel seizure by American forces when he made the controversial comparison.
“We took over the ship, we took over the cargo, we took over the oil. It’s a very profitable business,” Trump stated. “We’re like pirates. We’re sort of like pirates but we are not playing games.”
American forces have confiscated multiple Iranian vessels after they departed from ports, including sanctioned cargo ships and oil tankers operating in Asian maritime areas.
Iran has restricted nearly all maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz except for its own ships since hostilities began. Trump has established a separate blockade targeting Iranian ports.
The conflict began February 28 when American and Israeli forces launched attacks against Iran. Tehran retaliated with strikes against Israel and Gulf nations hosting U.S. military installations. The combined U.S.-Israeli operations in Iran and Israeli military action in Lebanon have resulted in thousands of casualties and millions of displaced civilians.
The ongoing warfare has driven up petroleum costs and created a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage for approximately 20% of worldwide oil and liquefied natural gas transportation.
Trump, who has provided varying timelines and objectives for the widely unpopular war, has received broad criticism for his statements regarding the conflict, including last month’s threat to eliminate Iran’s entire civilization.
Numerous American analysts stated last month that U.S. military strikes against Iran could constitute war crimes after Trump made threats targeting civilian infrastructure.
