Strait of Hormuz [Reuters Yonhap News]

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on the 13th (local time) to immediately sink Iranian vessels if they approach the Strait of Hormuz, where U.S. forces have initiated a blockade.

Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, "158 Iranian naval vessels have been completely destroyed and sunk into the sea. The few so-called 'speedboats' we didn't strike were because we did not consider them a major threat."

He then stated, "Consider this a warning. If any of these boats come near our blockade (the area subject to blockade), they will be immediately eliminated."

Trump warned that he would utilize the same system used to sink ships suspected of transporting drugs from Latin American countries to the United States in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean since late last year, stating, "The process will be swift and brutal."

He added, "98.2% of drugs entering the United States by sea have been intercepted."

Earlier, U.S. Central Command initiated measures to blockade all vessels entering and exiting Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, effective 10 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on this day (11 p.m. Korean time on the 13th).

The Strait of Hormuz is an energy transportation route accounting for 20% of global crude oil trade volume. Iran has maintained control over this strait even during the two-week ceasefire and peace negotiation period that began on the 7th.

Consequently, after the first peace talks with Iran on the 11th-12th failed, President Trump deployed the card of the U.S. blockading the strait to tighten Iran's war funding.