(SeaPRwire) –   President Donald Trump likened the U.S. Navy to pirates while discussing the execution of his directives to blockade Iranian ports.

“We seized the vessel, we seized the cargo, we seized the oil. It is a highly lucrative operation,” Trump remarked on Friday evening, describing the capture of an Iranian ship. “We are essentially acting like pirates, but we are not playing around.”

The United States initiated a naval blockade of Iranian ports last month after peace negotiations collapsed, a move ostensibly taken in retaliation for Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Prior to the surprise U.S. and Israeli offensive against Iran on February 28—a conflict that has resulted in thousands of civilian casualties—this energy corridor facilitated the transport of one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.

Following the attack, Iran halted all maritime transit through the Strait. In recent weeks, Tehran has partially eased these restrictions, permitting vessels from allied and non-combatant nations to pass upon payment of a toll.

According to Trump, the U.S. blockade targets both Iranian vessels and any other ships that have paid transit fees to Iran.

On April 29, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Brad Cooper reported that U.S. forces had intercepted and redirected over 40 commercial ships attempting to bypass the blockade.

“Currently, there are 41 tankers carrying 69 million barrels of oil that the Iranian regime is unable to sell. This represents an estimated loss of over $6 billion in potential revenue for Iran’s leadership. The blockade is proving highly effective, and U.S. forces remain dedicated to its full enforcement,” he stated. Since that announcement, CENTCOM confirmed that four additional vessels have been redirected, raising the total to 45 since the blockade commenced on April 13.

In an April 12 post on Truth Social, Trump declared that the U.S. Navy would intercept “any and all ships attempting to enter or exit the Strait of Hormuz,” stating that the blockade would persist until Iran grants unrestricted access to the waterway.

The disruption of oil transit through the passage has triggered significant surges in global oil prices and necessitated fuel rationing worldwide.

Data from AAA indicates that the average price of gasoline in the U.S. reached $4.39 per gallon on Friday. On Saturday, Spirit Airlines became the first U.S. carrier to suspend operations due to escalating fuel costs stemming from the conflict with Iran, with jet fuel prices having doubled since the war began two months ago.