Iran Threatens To Pull Plug On Red Sea Trade In Response To Ongoing Naval Blockade

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 15. Iran won't allow any import or export to continue in the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and Red Sea as the U.S. naval blockade against Iran continues and creates dangerous conditions for Iranian oil tankers and merchant ships, the commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, Army General Ali Abdullahi, told local media, Trend reports.

According to him, the U.S. naval blockade of Iran will be considered a first step towards violating the ceasefire.

Abdullahi said Iran will defend its national sovereignty and interests with all its might.

The head of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, said that the U.S. military has successfully blockaded Iranian ports. Thus, a blockade of Iranian ports has been fully implemented as U.S. forces maintain maritime superiority in the Middle East, and the U.S. has managed to paralyze Iranian maritime trade in the past 36 hours.

Meanwhile, as no tangible progress was made in the nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, the situation escalated on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched military airstrikes against Iran. In retaliation, Iran initiated missile and drone strikes targeting Israeli and U.S. installations in the region. Following these developments, a two-week ceasefire agreement was brokered on April 7 through Pakistan's mediation. However, during subsequent talks between the U.S. and Iran in Islamabad on April 11, no consensus was reached.

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