Trump Claims U.S. Seizure of Ships in Hormuz "Profitable Business

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday described American seizures of ships in the Strait of Hormuz as a "very profitable business," adding that Washington was acting "like pirates, but we are not playing," in remarks that drew immediate condemnation from regional capitals and raised fresh alarm over the security of one of the world's most critical maritime corridors.

The comments, reported by Anadolu Agency, mark some of the most provocative language used by a sitting U.S. president regarding interdictions in the Gulf waterway, through which roughly a fifth of global oil supply transits each day. Trump did not specify which vessels he was referring to, but U.S. naval forces have stepped up boarding operations in the region over the past year, ostensibly targeting Iranian sanctions evasion and weapons transfers tied to the Yemen conflict.

The White House did not immediately clarify whether the president's remarks signaled a formal policy shift or were extemporaneous commentary. Officials at the Pentagon declined to comment on the financial framing of the seizures, which legal experts said could complicate Washington's longstanding insistence that its naval enforcement operates strictly within international law.

The Strait of Hormuz, a 33-kilometre chokepoint between Iran and Oman, carries crude exports from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iraq and Qatar, as well as nearly all of Qatar's liquefied natural gas shipments to Asia and Europe. Any disruption to free passage carries immediate consequences for Doha, the world's largest LNG exporter, and for energy markets worldwide.

Qatari officials have repeatedly stressed the importance of de-escalation in Gulf waters and have used Doha's diplomatic channels to mediate between Washington and Tehran on maritime incidents. The Qatari foreign ministry has consistently called for adherence to international maritime law and freedom of navigation, framing the Strait as a shared regional asset rather than a theatre of confrontation.

Iran's foreign ministry has previously denounced U.S. interdictions as acts of "piracy," a term Trump appeared to embrace in his remarks. Tehran has retaliated in past episodes by seizing tankers it accuses of carrying smuggled cargo, including incidents in 2023 and 2024 that briefly spiked global shipping insurance rates.

Analysts warned that publicly framing the seizures as commercial gain risked undermining the legal basis for U.S. operations and could embolden other actors to conduct their own boardings under similar pretexts. Gulf shipping associations have urged restraint and called for an emergency consultation among regional navies.

Oil prices ticked higher in early Asian trading after the comments circulated. The remarks come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran following stalled nuclear talks and a series of incidents involving commercial vessels in the wider Gulf region.