President Donald Trump has been brutally mocked by an Iranian politician who shared an image of current petrol prices near the White House, warning that Americans will soon “miss them”. After peace talks led by Vice President JD Vance in Pakistan failed on Saturday, Trump announced in a social media post that “the United States Navy, the finest in the world, will begin the process of intercepting any and all ships attempting to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz.” The vital shipping route linking the oil-rich Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean has been blocked by Iran since February 28 when the US and Israel launched strikes against the Islamic republic.
After peace talks in Pakistan failed, Iran said it would keep the strait closed, but hours later Trump announced that he too would keep it closed. The closure of the strait, which normally provides a passage for ships exporting 20% ​​of the world’s oil and gas, has created global financial chaos and led to inflation and fuel prices in the United States. Taking a lesson from Trump’s strategy, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, chairman of Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly, shared his views on Washington’s own blockade move on social media.
Sharing an image of his claim about current US gasoline prices at the White House and the area around Washington, Bagher Qalibaf taunted Trump and his supporters with the caption: “Enjoy the current pump figures. With the so-called ‘blockade’ in place, soon you’ll be nostalgic for $4-$5 gas.”
The speaker also shared a mathematical expression that appears to imply that a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would result in higher prices at the pump. According to CBS News, ordinary Americans have seen gasoline prices rise by more than 21% since the war began in late February, to between $4 and $5 per gallon.
Using bombastic language in his own social media posts, Trump also said the US was “locked and loaded”, and said the US military would “eliminate what’s left of Iran”.
US Central Command has announced that it will begin a blockade of Iranian ports from Monday.
CENTCOM said the blockade would be enforced impartially against ships of all countries entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas.
It said it would still allow ships traveling between non-Iranian ports to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
Traffic in the strait remains limited even in the days following the ceasefire. Maritime trackers say more than 40 commercial ships have crossed since the ceasefire began.
