President Donald Trump on Sunday claimed that Iranian naval forces had been destroyed ahead of an upcoming energy blockade. Speaking after arriving in Maryland from a trip abroad, Trump said, “Their military is destroyed. Their whole Navy is underwater. You know that 158 ships are gone. Their navy is gone. Most of their mine droppers are gone.”
Trump also announced that a U.S. maritime blockade would take effect at 10 a.m. Monday. “Other nations are working so that Iran will not be able to sell oil,” he said, emphasizing that international vessels are bypassing traditional routes to purchase American oil. He added that many ships are heading toward the U.S. to fill up with oil before heading elsewhere.
The president expressed disapproval of NATO, criticizing the alliance for what he described as a lack of support. “I’m very disappointed in NATO,” Trump said. “They weren’t there for us. We pay trillions of dollars for NATO, and they weren’t there for us.” He warned that America’s financial commitments to NATO, especially regarding Russia, are under serious review. “Now they want to come up, but there’s no real threat anymore,” he added. “When you think of it, we’re guarding against Russia, and I’ve long thought it was a little ridiculous, but we spent trillions of dollars doing it.”
Trump’s remarks come amid ongoing tensions and conflicts with Iran, including the recent “Operation Epic Fury” offensive. The president has previously threatened to withdraw the U.S. from NATO, accusing the alliance of providing limited assistance and refusing naval support for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Following a meeting last week with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House, Trump again criticized the alliance for not supporting American interests. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt highlighted the frustration, stating, “It’s quite sad that NATO turned their backs on the American people over the last six weeks when it’s the American people who have been funding their defense.” Meanwhile, some European nations have taken steps that complicate military cooperation, including Spain shutting down airspace to strike aircraft and denying access to U.S. military bases, and France blocking Israeli aircraft from traversing its airspace for munitions transport. Finnish President Alexander Stubb also indicated a shift, suggesting the emergence of a more European-centric NATO.”
Contributing to this report, Morgan Phillips of Fox News Digital.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
