Trump says Iran is 'choking like a stuffed pig', as he mulls extending blockade

Trump says Iran is 'choking like a stuffed pig', as he mulls extending blockade MEE staff on Wed, 04/29/2026 - 18:56 The US president appeared to reject an Iranian proposal to end the war that would have deferred talks on its nuclear programme US President Donald Trump speaks during an event with the Artemis II astronauts in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on 29 April 2026 (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP) Off US President Donald Trump on Wednesday rejected an Iranian peace proposal to lift competing blockades of the Strait of Hormuz and defer nuclear talks to a later date, as the US-Israeli war on the Islamic Republic shows no sign of ending. Several US media outlets reported that the White House is mulling extending its naval blockade of Iran for months and that US oil executives were briefed on the plan in a meeting with Trump. Oil prices, which have become a metric for the prospects of a peace deal, surged on the news. Brent, the international benchmark, was trading up 7.5 percent on Wednesday at $107.49 per barrel. “Iran can’t get their act together. They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon!” Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social, above a mocked-up picture of himself toting a rifle in front of explosions wrecking a desert fortress and the slogan: "No more Mr. Nice Guy!" (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Trump's discussions with oil executives focused on ways to maintain the blockade and minimise the impact on American consumers, several US media reports said. US gas prices are up around 35 percent since the start of the war, although they have rallied less than prices in Europe and Asia. On Wednesday, the American Automobile Association reported an average nationwide price of $4.23 per gallon. One US gallon is equal to 3.785 litres. 'They want to settle' "The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing. They are choking like a stuffed pig. And it is going to be worse for them. They can't have a nuclear weapon," Trump told Axios news on Wednesday. He insisted that the blockade would only end if a nuclear deal was sealed - a process that could drag out for months, if not years. 'Empowered': UAE's exit from Opec appeases Trump, delivers blow to Saudi Arabia Read More » While he refused to discuss military plans during the Axios interview, unnamed officials said that US Central Command is planning for a series of "short and powerful" strikes on Iran to break the deadlock. Last week, Trump cancelled a trip by his envoys to mediator Pakistan after the Iranian foreign minister had already landed there, leaving the state of talks in limbo. The three-week ceasefire so far between the US and Iran has largely held, offering a reprieve for Tehran, which has been pummelled by US and Israeli strikes. The US's Gulf allies have faced thousands of ballistic missile and drone strikes. More than 3,000 Iranians were killed in some 40 days of bombardment. In place of strikes, Trump opted to impose a naval blockade on Iran, which he says is in response to Tehran wresting control of the Strait of Hormuz and selectively allowing vessels to transit. "They want to settle. They don't want me to keep the blockade," Trump told Axios. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); He claimed that because Iran cannot export its oil, its tankers and pipelines "are getting close to exploding". Iran's Press TV on Wednesday, citing a security source, reported that Iran's military has shown "restraint... intended to give diplomacy a chance". The ceasefire, the source explained, is designed to give Trump "an opportunity to pull the United States out of the current quagmire it finds itself in", but that Washington will soon be met with "practical and unprecedented action" if it doesn't end its naval blockade. War on Iran News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0