Trump says US Navy acts 'like pirates' in Iran blockade

U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. Navy is acting 'like pirates' as he described a campaign to seize oil tankers amid the blockade of Iranian ports.

'We board the ship and take it. We take the cargo, take the oil. It's a very profitable business,' Trump told a rally in Florida on Friday (May 1).

'We're like pirates,' he added to cheers from the crowd. 'But we're not kidding.'

After the U.S. and Israel struck Iran on February 28, Tehran retaliated with attacks on Israel and Gulf states hosting U.S. military bases. Iran also blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway carrying 20% of global oil and gas.

A ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran took effect on April 8, but just days later, on April 13, Trump imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz even as Pakistan-mediated talks continued.

Trump said he was 'not happy' with Iran's latest peace proposal to end the war. He said he was unsure whether a deal can be reached, warning he would 'blow them away' if negotiations fail.

Al Jazeera's Resul Serdar, reporting from Tehran, said Iran's military command issued a statement arguing that the possibility of war resuming is 'very high because the evidence shows the U.S. is not committed' to any agreement.

'That is the assessment and reaction in Tehran. The Iranians believe they have shown enough flexibility before the war, in the Islamabad talks and during the ceasefire,' Serdar said.

'But they say they have not seen a similar approach from the U.S. because every time Iran eases its demands, the Americans become more aggressive.'

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei wrote on X that Americans have an 'undeniable right and sacred duty' to demand the Trump administration be held accountable for the 'U.S.-Israel chosen war' against Iran. The war is 'a clear, unprovoked act of aggression,' and the U.S. public should question their government about 'unleashing this illegal war against the Iranian nation and all the crimes it has committed.' Baghaei also posted a video of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand saying at a recent hearing: 'We don't have any evidence that Iran intended to attack this country in any way.'

Trump faced a May 1 deadline under the 1973 War Powers Resolution to seek congressional authorization for the war against Iran. The resolution requires Congress to declare war or authorize force within 60 days, which is now likely to expire without action.

Douglas Silliman, former U.S. ambassador to Kuwait and Iraq, told Al Jazeera that Trump wants to weaken Congress's legal authority on war. 'The way I read the law, within 60 days of the start of hostilities involving U.S. forces, the president must go to Congress to continue. The problem is the law has never been fully enforced, and the administration is redefining the timeline of the war to say they don't need to do this. I think they will keep finding reasons not to approach Congress until forced to.'

Silliman said Trump 'does not want to be seen as asking permission for something he believes he can do on his own authority. He thinks that as commander-in-chief, the whole law and the concept of going to Congress is unconstitutional. I think lawmakers, including Republicans, will not agree. But again, it depends on whether the president sees this as a win for himself.'