Trump Says U.S. Secretly Removed 22 Oil Tankers From Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Wednesday evening that during an operation carried out by the American military the day before, 22 oil tankers were secretly removed from Iran. "It was a secret, they didn't know about it. That's why oil prices are going down," Trump said. At the same time, U.S. Central Command released footage of an Iranian oil tanker being disabled.

According to CENTCOM data, since the blockade began on April 13, eight vessels that did not heed orders have been disabled, 134 vessels were diverted after complying with instructions, and 42 vessels carrying aid were allowed to continue on their way.

At a press conference he held, Trump said the United States was expected to strike Iran again overnight, in response to the downing of an American Apache helicopter over Hormuz. "I've been working with Iran for a few months now. Iran agreed that it would not have nuclear weapons. All it needs to do is sign the paper. Everything has already been agreed, but they keep delaying because they know this is a significant agreement," he said.

Earlier today, Trump sent a stern message to Tehran amid the negotiations between the sides. "Iran is all talk and no action. They took too long to negotiate a deal that could have been great for them, and now they will have to pay the price," he wrote. In an interview with Fox News, he added that he was close to ordering additional strikes against power stations and bridges in Iran, claiming that the Iranians were "dragging their feet."

Tonight the president wrote on his X account: "Last month, I directed our great U.S. Military to carry out a secret mission in support of oil tankers and other commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Today, I am pleased to report that this effort has resulted in over 100 million barrels of oil making its way through the Strait, to the open market. More than 200 commercial ships have safely passed through the Strait. This successful effort is due to the fact that the United States of America controls the Strait of Hormuz, not Iran. Their military is defeated, and their economy is gone. It is over for Iran! Thank you for your attention to this matter".