ConflictClarifier

2026 Iran-Gulf Crisis Tracker
CC
Events Archive
diplomacyMay 2, 2026

Trump compares US Navy to ‘pirates’ for seizing Iranian oil ships: 'It's a very profitable business'

Summary

Trump compares US Navy to ‘pirates’ for seizing Iranian oil ships: 'It's a very profitable business' Trump on US Navy Seizing Ships:— Acyn (@Acyn) May 2, 2026 It’s a very profitable business. We’re like pirates. pic.twitter.com/erWDQmJWnw PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: President Donald Trump compared the US Navy to "pirates" for successfully carrying out Washington's naval blockade of Iranian ports during the US and Israel's war against Iran. The 79-year-old commander-in-chief was attending the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches' annual dinner as a special guest on Friday, May 1, when he boasted of the profits the US has made from its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. "We took over the ship, we took over the cargo, we took over the oil. It's a very profitable business," Trump said, adding, "We're like pirates. We're sort of like pirates, but we are not playing games." The blockade, focused on strategic routes like the Gulf of Oman, has sharply curtailed Iran’s oil exports, a key lifeline for its economy. US officials say the move is a part of a broader strategy to squeeze Tehran’s capacity to fund regional operations while pressuring it toward renewed negotiations. US naval blockade costs Iran $4.8 billion Trump’s statement came on the heels of the Department of Defence’s revelation that Iran has lost nearly $5 billion in oil revenue as a result of the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade, ordered by Trump as leverage in ceasefire talks, has forced more than 40 vessels carrying Iranian oil and other cargo to change course, a Pentagon official revealed. According to a report by Axios, two ships have been seized by the US, while 31 tankers carrying 53 million barrels of Iranian oil are stuck in the Gulf of Oman with a value of over $4.8 billion. Iran is also rapidly running out of space to store the oil it’s producing, with estimates suggesting it could hit full capacity in as little as 15 to 60 days. “The blockade is working to perfection,” a US official told The Jerusalem Post, adding, “There is no economic trade going into or out of Iran.” As a result, Iran has been forced to store all the oil it produces using multiple methods, ranging from onshore facilities to floating storage on tankers, especially Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs). Trump not ‘satisfied’ by deals offered by Tehran Amid the large-scale blockade, Trump said that he is “not satisfied” with a new peace proposal from Tehran, suggesting the US is “better off” without a deal with Iran. “They want to make a deal, I’m not satisfied with it, so we’ll see what happens,” the president told reporters. BREAKING: "They want to make a deal, but I don't. I'm not satisfied with it. We'll see what happens. Iran wants to make a deal because they have no military left." - President Trump pic.twitter.com/QTCAvpv2L1— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 1, 2026 Later that night, speaking at an event at the Forum Club, Trump openly questioned whether he even wanted to pursue a deal at all. “I'm so busy with the Iranians calling trying to make a good deal and we're not going to let that happen. They've got to make a bad deal. Maybe we're better off not making a deal at all,” he said. Despite all the talk of deals and ongoing negotiations, Trump sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday declaring that the “hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28, have terminated.” The message effectively sidestepped a looming 60-day deadline that required the POTUS to secure congressional approval to continue military operations against Iran.

Actors involved

USIsraelIran

Sources

  • Piyush AroraBy Piyush Arora

    Trump compares US Navy to ‘pirates’ for seizing Iranian oil ships: 'It's a very profitable business' Trump on US Navy Seizing Ships:— Acyn (@Acyn) May 2, 2026 It’s a very profitable business. We’re like pirates. pic.twitter.com/erWDQmJWnw PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: President Donald Tru

See this event through different lenses

Compare how Western, Iranian, Israeli, Global South, and Pro-Peace perspectives frame this event.

Compare Perspectives

Community Notes

Community Notes

Loading notes...

Related events

diplomacyUnverifiedUSIran
1 source

Key points: Bitcoin diverges from US stocks as Trump says Strait of Hormuz “open” Data from TradingView showed BTC/USD building on the week’s gains as the S&P 500 bounced from 7,696, its lowest level since Aug. 4. BTC/USD four-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView This came after US president Donald Trump posted a map of the closed Strait of Hormuz oil route to Truth Social where it was labeled “new US territory.

” Both the US and Iran lay claim to control of Hormuz, with Trump threatening US ally Oman with military action over its plans to work with Iran on charging tolls to shipping traffic. In a subsequent post, Trump confirmed that further diplomacy with Iran was not on the agenda.

“There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated,” he wrote. S&P 500 one-day chart.

Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView As on Monday, oil avoided major volatility, with WTI crude down 1% at the time of writing at $84 per barrel. US government bonds continued to show strain, with the 30-year yield hitting 5.34%, its highest since January 2007.

“Bond prices are sending warnings,” BNY Mellon analyst Geoff Yu wrote in a research note quoted by the New York Times. Yu said that the surge came as “investors demand more compensation for inflation risk,” while also attributing the upside to government borrowing.

US 30-year bond yields one-month chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView BTC price faces crunch rebound test Updating X followers on BTC/USD, trader and analyst Aksel Kibar eyed the culmination of a potential reverse head-and-shoulders pattern at $62,300.

Related: Bitcoin price spike to $64.5K was ‘low-volume liquidity trap’: Analysis “If $BTCUSD is going to rebound, it has to come from here,” he argued on Monday. Kibar offered a $53,000 target in the event of the head-and-shoulders structure failing, with $76,000 a potential upside target should the rebound sustain.

BTC/USD one-day chart. Source: Aksel Kibar on X.com Previously, Cointelegraph reported that underwater investors were contributing to Bitcoin’s inability to break higher. Its rebound to $64,500 also stopped short of an overhead trend line, the 50-month exponential moving average (EMA).

This moving average is now in place as resistance at $65,827.

Location: Strait of Hormuz
diplomacyUnverifiedUSIran
1 source

Trump says no talks underway with Iran, Hormuz blockade remains in place US president says no discussions are taking place or planned with Tehran and reiterates that the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remains fully operational Washington: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that no talks are taking place with Iran and that no discussions are currently scheduled between the two countries.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump also said the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remains "in full force and effect." The president did not provide further details regarding US policy towards Iran or any potential future diplomatic engagement.

Trump's comments come amid continued tensions between Washington and Tehran and renewed focus on security and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important oil shipping routes.

Location: Tehran
diplomacyUnverifiedUSIran
1 source

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday that Iran had “won both the war and diplomacy,” claiming those who initially sought Tehran’s “unconditional surrender” later sought negotiations. Speaking at an event, Araghchi said Iran resisted for days against what he described as “the world’s largest apparent military,” alongside another army claiming military power and with the support of nearly all Western countries and some other states inside and outside the region, according to the Tasnim news agency.

“Those who were seeking unconditional surrender, shortly after the war began, begged for negotiations,” Araghchi said. He claimed Tehran initially rejected a ceasefire and continued fighting until reaching a point where the other side accepted a ceasefire and negotiations “on Iran’s terms.

” “We fought with strength, and we negotiated with strength,” he said, adding that many foreign ministers had told him: “You won both the war and diplomacy.” Araghchi’s remarks came after US President Donald Trump called on Iran on Monday to give up and “raise the white flag.

Location: Tehran
diplomacyUnverifiedUSIran
1 source

- Iran demands US lift sanctions and return frozen assets to reopen Strait of Hormuz - Iran's Parliament Speaker warns closure of Strait continues until US ends military threats - Around 20% of global oil supply passes through the Strait, impacting energy security Iran has warned that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the US meets a set of conditions, including the release of frozen Iranian assets, an end to oil sanctions and what Tehran describes as a US blockade and military threats.

Al-Arabiya English reported that Iran's Parliament Speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the Trump administration must meet the conditions before Tehran considers reopening the strategic waterway. “Until the Trump regime removes the blockade, ends the wars across the region, returns Iran's stolen assets, lifts the oil sanctions, and ceases its military threats, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed,” Ghalibaf said.

Until the Trump regime removes the blockade, ends the wars across the region, returns Iran's stolen assets, lifts the oil sanctions, and ceases its military threats, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed. pic.twitter.com/fl2RrKnT1R— Seyed Mohammad Marandi (@s_m_marandi) August 18, 2026 Ghalibaf also warned that Iran was prepared to respond more forcefully depending on the actions of its adversaries.

ALSO READ: 'We Control Hormuz': Trump To Declare Strait As US Territory? Here's What President Says The comments add a new condition to an already fragile diplomatic environment, with the Strait of Hormuz at the centre of concerns over global energy supplies.

Around one-fifth of global oil supply typically passes through the waterway, making any prolonged disruption a major risk for crude markets, shipping and energy security. Earlier, Press TV reported that Ghalibaf is scheduled to travel to Baghdad on Wednesday at the head of a high-level Iranian delegation for discussions with Iraqi leaders.

The talks are expected to cover regional developments and bilateral cooperation, including border security, counterterrorism, economic ties and implementation of existing agreements. Iraqi media have also reported that the agenda could include a proposal concerning Iraqi oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz.

The visit comes as regional governments grapple with the implications of continued disruption in one of the world's most important energy corridors. ALSO READ: Hormuz Tensions: Another Ship Hit By Unknown Projectile, Says UKMTO Centre The security situation in the waterway has also remained tense.

The UK's Maritime Trade Operations agency, or UKMTO, said a vessel reported being struck by an unknown projectile while conducting an outbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz. “The Company Security Officer has reported that the vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while conducting an outbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz,” UKMTO said.

The impact damaged the vessel's engine room and resulted in a crew casualty, the agency said. The remaining crew was being assisted by the Omani coastguard. Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.

Location: Tehran