Trump slams Iran’s ‘very poor job’ as ceasefire remains at risk | World | News
Donald Trump criticised Iran’s management of oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, casting doubt on the recently announced ceasefire, which the US president said was contingent on Iran reopening the Strait. On Tuesday, Washington and Tehran announced a two-week pause in fighting.
The truce was a result of a deadline Trump imposed on Iran to open the Strait, or “a whole civilisation will die”. But following the ceasefire, only a handful of vessels have transited the critical Strait of Hormuz, suggesting the agreement to solve one of the most serious energy crises in the world’s history has not fully taken effect.
Criticising the events, Trump said on Truth Social yesterday evening (April 9): “Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz.”
He concluded: “That is not the agreement we have!”
Trump said: “Actually, it is a Victory… Because of me, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.”
The Strait of Hormuz usually handles 120-140 transits a day, carrying about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies.
Just five vessels crossed the strait on Wednesday, down from 11 the previous day, and seven transited on Thursday, according to data from market intelligence firm Kpler reported by Al Jazeera. More than 600 vessels, including 325 tankers, are still stranded in the Gulf due to the blockage of the strait, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence.
Kpler trade risk analyst Ana Subasic said: “Safe transit capacity is expected to remain constrained at maximum 10–15 passages a day if the ceasefire holds.”
Amid frustration that NATO allies have not done more to help Trump secure the waterway, the President is also considering withdrawing some US troops from Europe.
Refusing to join the US and Israel in the war, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has told ITV News that he is “fed up” with families in the UK seeing their bills go up and down “because of the actions of Putin or Trump”. He admitted that the full details of the ceasefire deal between Iran and the US are not clear to him or other allies.
