Donald Trump warns Iran ‘you may’t blackmail us’ and abruptly ends press convention

It comes as Iran rowed back on its decision to open the vital oil shipping lane and fired on a tanker attempting to sail through the waterway this morning

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Donald Trump has warned Iran “you can’t blackmail us” over the Strait of Hormuz – before abruptly ending a press conference and telling reporters: “Out”

It comes as Iran rowed back on its decision to open the vital oil shipping lane and fired on a tanker attempting to sail through the waterway this morning. It warned that it would continue to block transit through the strait as long as the US blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect. But Trump said negotiations were “working out very well” and claimed more information would come out about the standoff by the end of the day.

He made the remarks during an Oval Office event to sign an executive order launching more research into the use of psychedelic drugs to treat mental health conditions. Speaking about Iran, he said: “They got a little cute as they have been doing for 47 years, nobody took ’em on. We took ’em on. They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, they have no leaders, they have no nothing. Actually their leaders it is regime change. You call that enforced regime change. But we’re talking to them. They wanted to close up the strait again as they have been doing for years, but they can’t blackmail us.”

He continued: “In fact a lot of the ships are coming up to Texas, I don’t know if you know, and Louisiana, the ships are coming up, they got used to it. Perhaps they’ll keep doing it, pretty good. But it’s going actually along very well and we’ll see, we’ll have some information by the end of the day. You know we’re taking a tough stand. They’ve killed a lot of people.”

He did not take any questions from the media on the conflict. When a reporter tried to ask one at the end of the event, Trump gestured to the door and said: “Out.”

Confusion over the critical chokepoint threatened to deepen the energy crisis roiling the global economy and push the two countries toward renewed conflict, even as mediators expressed confidence a new deal was within reach. Iran’s joint military command said on Saturday that “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state … under strict management and control of the armed forces.” Two gunboats from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. It reported the tanker and crew as safe, without identifying the vessel or its destination. TankerTrackers.com reported vessels were forced to turn around in the strait, including an Indian-flagged super tanker, after they were fired on by Iran.

Saturday’s developments came after Trump said the blockade “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the US, including on its nuclear program. Tehran had reopened the strait Friday to commercial vessels. Roughly one-fifth of the world ’s oil passes through the strait and further limits would squeeze already constrained supply, driving prices higher once again. Iran’s Friday announcement about the opening of the crucial body of water, through which 20% of the world’s oil is shipped, came as a 10-day truce between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon appeared to hold.

Despite the escalation, Pakistani officials say the United States and Iran are still moving closer to a deal ahead of the April 22 ceasefire deadline. The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, nearly 2,300 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen US service members have also been killed.