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White House Says Iran Ship Seizures Not Ceasefire Violations
(MENAFN) President Donald Trump does not regard Iran's seizure of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz as a breach of the ceasefire he unilaterally extended Tuesday, the White House confirmed Wednesday — while also dismissing reports of a fixed deadline on the truce.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt drew a firm line on what constitutes a violation, stating that Trump does not view the seizures as breaches of the ceasefire "because these were not US ships. These were not Israeli ships."
"These were two international vessels. And for the American media, who is sort of blowing this out of proportion to discredit the president's facts that he has completely obliterated Iran's conventional navy, these two ships were taken by speedy gunboats," she said in an interview with a news agency.
Leavitt did not stop there, delivering a pointed assessment of Iran's naval standing: "Iran has gone from having the most lethal navy in the Middle East to now acting like a bunch of pirates they don't have control over the strait. This is piracy that we are seeing on display, and the naval blockade that the United States has imposed continues to be incredibly effective."
The blockade, imposed by Trump to prevent Tehran from extracting tolls from vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, applies to all ships traveling to and from Iranian ports.
Wednesday's maritime incidents came into sharper focus as The Wall Street Journal reported that the Greek-owned vessels Epaminondas and Francesca were fired upon by Iranian forces before being escorted into Iranian waters. A third ship, the Euphoria, was also struck and left stranded in Iranian waters.
On the question of a ceasefire deadline, Trump himself moved to quash circulating reports. Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum relayed that the president told her directly in an interview that the widely reported three-to-five-day window on the extended ceasefire is "not true" — adding that he is "not in a rush, and that he wants the best deal," and that the US military blockade "Scares the Iranians more than the bombing."
Leavitt subsequently reinforced the denial from the White House briefing room.
"I know there's been some anonymous, sourced reporting that there was maybe a three-to-five-day deadline. That is not true," she told reporters.
"The president has not set a deadline himself. Ultimately, he will dictate the timetable. And again, he is satisfied with the naval blockade, and he understands that Iran is in a very weak position, and the cards are in President Trump's hands right now," she added.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt drew a firm line on what constitutes a violation, stating that Trump does not view the seizures as breaches of the ceasefire "because these were not US ships. These were not Israeli ships."
"These were two international vessels. And for the American media, who is sort of blowing this out of proportion to discredit the president's facts that he has completely obliterated Iran's conventional navy, these two ships were taken by speedy gunboats," she said in an interview with a news agency.
Leavitt did not stop there, delivering a pointed assessment of Iran's naval standing: "Iran has gone from having the most lethal navy in the Middle East to now acting like a bunch of pirates they don't have control over the strait. This is piracy that we are seeing on display, and the naval blockade that the United States has imposed continues to be incredibly effective."
The blockade, imposed by Trump to prevent Tehran from extracting tolls from vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, applies to all ships traveling to and from Iranian ports.
Wednesday's maritime incidents came into sharper focus as The Wall Street Journal reported that the Greek-owned vessels Epaminondas and Francesca were fired upon by Iranian forces before being escorted into Iranian waters. A third ship, the Euphoria, was also struck and left stranded in Iranian waters.
On the question of a ceasefire deadline, Trump himself moved to quash circulating reports. Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum relayed that the president told her directly in an interview that the widely reported three-to-five-day window on the extended ceasefire is "not true" — adding that he is "not in a rush, and that he wants the best deal," and that the US military blockade "Scares the Iranians more than the bombing."
Leavitt subsequently reinforced the denial from the White House briefing room.
"I know there's been some anonymous, sourced reporting that there was maybe a three-to-five-day deadline. That is not true," she told reporters.
"The president has not set a deadline himself. Ultimately, he will dictate the timetable. And again, he is satisfied with the naval blockade, and he understands that Iran is in a very weak position, and the cards are in President Trump's hands right now," she added.
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