Trump says US Navy acting ‘like pirates’ during naval blockade of Iranian ports

President Donald Trump said that the US Navy was acting "like pirates" as he described seizing ships during Washington's naval blockade of Iranian ports.

Speaking at a rally in Florida, Trump said US forces had boarded vessels, taken cargo and seized oil, calling it "a very profitable business." The US Central Command said it had redirected 45 vessels to enforce the blockade as of Friday.

What did Trump say about the US Navy acting like pirates?

Trump told rally supporters in Florida that US forces had landed on ships, seized cargo and taken oil as part of the blockade of Iranian ports. "We're like pirates," he said, adding that the US was "not playing games."

The remarks drew cheers from the crowd and came as legal experts raised alarms about the legality of both the US blockade and Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

What is the US naval blockade of Iran and how is it working?

The United States announced a blockade of Iranian ports last month after peace talks in Pakistan failed to produce a breakthrough. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said in April the blockade would last "as long as it takes."

Top US military officer General Dan Caine confirmed it applies to all ships regardless of nationality heading into or from Iranian ports.

The US Central Command said 45 vessels had been redirected to ensure compliance with the blockade as of Friday.

The blockade followed Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and gas shipments, after the US-Israeli air campaign against Iran began on 28 February. Iran has vowed to maintain its chokehold on the strait for as long as Washington continues to blockade its ports.

What has the blockade cost Iran so far?

The US military says its blockade has stopped $6 billion in Iranian oil exports since it began. The Jerusalem Post reported the figure at $4.8 billion as of Friday. Iran's economy has been severely strained by the combination of the blockade, existing sanctions and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has also disrupted global energy markets.

Some Iranian vessels have been seized by the US after leaving Iranian ports. Trump's framing of these operations as piracy, while made in a rally context, raises broader legal questions that experts have begun to examine.

Iran has separately announced plans to charge fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a move that has drawn its own legal scrutiny.