President Donald Trump said he will keep Iran under a naval blockade until Tehran agrees to a nuclear deal.
In an interview with Axios, Trump said he views the blockade as more effective in pressuring Tehran than immediate military action. “The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing. They are choking like a stuffed pig. And it is going to be worse for them. They can’t have a nuclear weapon.”
“They want to settle. They don’t want me to keep the blockade. I don’t want to [lift the blockade], because I don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon,” he added.
The president claimed Iran’s oil infrastructure is under strain from the restrictions. He said Iranian oil storage facilities and pipelines “are getting close to exploding” because the country can no longer export crude.
The U.S. blockade targeting vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports has been in place since April 13. U.S. forces have turned back 42 commercial vessels since the operation began, with the 42nd turned back on Wednesday.
Statement from Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander on the success of the U.S. blockade against Iran: pic.twitter.com/78OL04k5cZ
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 29, 2026
“Right now there are 41 tankers with 69 million barrels of oil that the Iranian regime can’t sell,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Adm. Brad Cooper said on Wednesday. “That’s an estimated $6 billion-plus from which Iran’s leadership cannot financially benefit.”
“The blockade is highly effective and U.S. forces remain fully committed to total enforcement,” Cooper added.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials have warned of consequences if the U.S. blockade continues.
A senior Iranian security source quoted by English-language state media Press TV said the U.S. naval blockade “will soon be met with a decisive and different response.”
A senior Iranian source warned that continued US naval blockade will soon be met with a decisive and different response.
Follow Press TV on Telegram: https://t.co/LWoNSpkc2J https://t.co/z1RbR7BIOJ pic.twitter.com/UX6DMTeDGx
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) April 29, 2026
The same source said Iran’s armed forces have shown restraint to allow diplomacy to proceed but warned that “patience has limits and that a punishing response is necessary” if the blockade continues.
Short and Powerful Strikes
While Trump wants to continue the naval blockade, which he sees as more effective in pressuring Tehran, he is also considering military action if Iran continues to refuse to return to the negotiating table, according to sources cited by Axios.
CENTCOM has reportedly prepared a plan for a “short and powerful” wave of strikes on Iran, which would likely include infrastructure targets, in hopes of breaking the negotiating deadlock.
According to Russian media, Vladimir Putin warned Trump of repercussions if the U.S. and Israel were to bomb Iran.
Putin is said to have urged Trump to continue with the ceasefire, calling it the “right” decision to “stabilize the situation.”
There would be “inevitable, extremely dire consequences not only for Iran and its neighbours, but for the entire international community, if the U.S. and Israel resort to force again”, Putin reportedly warned.
