Trump Defends Iranian Ship Seizure, Suggests US May Be Better Off Without Deal

US President Donald Trump on Friday defended the United States Navy's seizure of Iranian vessels, describing the operation as "a very profitable business" and suggesting that Washington may be better positioned without reviving a nuclear agreement with Tehran. Speaking to reporters, Trump framed the maritime interdictions as both a strategic and economic win, while accusing Iran of having weaponized the Strait of Hormuz against global shipping for years.

The remarks come amid heightened tensions in the Gulf, where the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman handles roughly a fifth of the world's seaborne oil trade. Trump argued that Iran's periodic threats to close or disrupt the strait had inflicted long-term costs on energy markets and US allies, and said Tehran's leverage over the chokepoint had been exaggerated. "They used the Strait of Hormuz as a weapon," the president said, adding that recent US naval actions had reasserted freedom of navigation.

Trump's comments mark a sharp departure from years of diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring some form of the 2015 nuclear deal, which the president withdrew from during his first term. He suggested that pursuing a new agreement with Iran might no longer serve US interests, citing what he described as profitable seizures of Iranian-linked tankers and the deterrent effect of a hardened American posture in the region. He did not provide details on the cargoes involved or the legal framework underpinning the seizures.

Iranian officials have repeatedly condemned US interdictions in international waters as acts of piracy and have warned of reciprocal measures. Tehran has previously detained foreign-flagged vessels in the Gulf in apparent retaliation, and analysts caution that an extended cycle of seizures risks a broader maritime confrontation that could spike global oil prices.

For Qatar and its Gulf neighbors, the stakes are particularly acute. Doha, a leading exporter of liquefied natural gas, relies on safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz for the bulk of its seaborne energy shipments to Asia and Europe. Qatari officials have consistently advocated diplomacy over confrontation with Iran, with which Doha shares the world's largest natural gas field, the South Pars/North Dome reservoir.

The Gulf Cooperation Council has long emphasized de-escalation, and regional capitals have urged Washington and Tehran to return to the negotiating table. Qatar previously played a quiet mediating role between the two sides, hosting indirect talks aimed at curbing escalation. Trump's latest remarks, however, signal a hardening US line that could complicate those efforts and place additional pressure on energy-exporting Gulf states navigating an increasingly volatile maritime environment.