U.S. President Donald Trump warned Tehran on Tuesday that the United States will retaliate "twenty times harder" if Iran continues to paralyse the Strait of Hormuz, as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vowed to maintain its blockade until all Western military strikes cease.
The escalating confrontation over the world’s most vital energy chokepoint has triggered the largest oil supply disruption in history. IRGC officials stated that they will "determine the end of the war" and pledged that "not one litre of oil" will be exported from the region as long as U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iranian soil persist.
"If Iran does anything that stops the flow of oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America twenty times harder than they have been hit thus far," President Trump wrote in a social media statement on Tuesday. He further warned that "Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them" if the vital shipping lane remains compromised.
The blockade has effectively halted nearly 20% of the global oil supply for over a week, forcing major producers like Saudi Arabia and Iraq to curb production as storage tanks reach capacity. Global maritime insurers have canceled war risk coverage for the region, and tracking data shows tanker traffic has plunged from 60 vessels a day to nearly zero.
Despite his aggressive rhetoric, President Trump suggested during a Monday news conference that the conflict could end "soon," claiming that U.S. operations are "far ahead of schedule." He asserted that Iran’s naval and air capabilities have been thoroughly dismantled, leaving their military forces in a state of "scatter."
Tehran has rejected this narrative of a swift conclusion. Iranian state media reported that the IRGC has taken "full control" of the waterway and warned that any vessel attempting to transit would be targeted. At least five tankers have already been damaged by projectiles or drones since the hostilities began on February 28.