President Donald Trump has said the US Navy was acting "like pirates" in carrying out Washington's naval blockade of Iranian ports during the US and Israel's war with Iran.
Trump made the comments on Friday while describing the seizure by US forces of a ship a few days ago.
"We took over the ship, we took over the cargo, we took over the oil. It's a very profitable business," Trump said in remarks on Friday evening at the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches.
"We're like pirates. We're sort of like pirates but we are not playing games."
Some of Tehran's vessels have been seized by the US after leaving Iranian ports, along with sanctioned container ships and Iranian tankers in Asian waters.
The US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. Iran responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states that host US bases. US-Israeli attacks on Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions.
The war has raised oil prices and led to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
16 of 19 US bases damaged — CNN
Trump also questioned whether or not he even wants to reach a deal with Iran.
"I'm so busy with the Iranians calling trying to make a good deal and we're not going to let that happen. They've got to make a bad deal. Maybe we're better off not making a deal at all," he said.
"Despite the success of United States operations against the Iranian regime and continued efforts to secure a lasting peace, the threat posed by Iran to the United States and our Armed Forces remains significant," Trump added.
While the US has touted battlefield successes, a new report released by CNN on Friday found that at least 16 of the 19 US military installations across the Middle East have been damaged in Iranian retaliatory strikes.
A source speaking to CNN said that they’d "never seen anything like this before."
"These are rapid, targeted strikes with [advanced] technology," the source reportedly told the network.
