President Trump threatened to destroy Iran on Sunday and suggested that the US could take full control of the Strait of Hormuz, becoming the “Guardian Angel” of the oil choke point and take 20% of the crude if the fragile peace deal falls apart.
With Iran declaring the Strait of Hormuz closed over Israel’s continued attacks in Lebanon, Trump threatened to blow away the Islamic Republic and make the US the de facto governor of the waterway.
“You close it, and you won’t have a country,” Trump said of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst. “You won’t even make it back to your f–king country.”
“We may take over the Strait, if we have to. If they don’t make a deal, we’ll collect tolls,” the president added.
The threats are a significant escalation after the US-Iran’s memorandum of understanding all but fell apart last week due to Israel and Hezbollah’s fighting in southern Lebanon.
The conflict led Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz, where the Islamic Republic has set up a toll system that it said it wants to implement after the 60-day peace negotiation period.
Earlier reports suggested Tehran would charge up to $2 million each for oil tankers to cross the strait.
The short-lived peace over the weekend allowed 67 ships to go through the Strait on Saturday, with 55 crossing on Friday, according to Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.
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“In terms of oil and oil products—about equal to where we were before the conflict,” Wright told Fox News.
Before the war began, about 20 million barrels of oil sailed through the Strait of Hormuz every day, with more than 130 ships traveling the narrow passage daily.
