President Donald Trump said on Friday the U.S. Navy was acting "like pirates" in carrying out Washington's naval blockade ​of Iranian ports during the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran.
Trump ‌made the comments while describing the seizure by U.S. 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. "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 U.S. after leaving ​Iranian ports, along with sanctioned container ships and Iranian tankers in Asian waters.

Iran has blocked nearly all ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz apart from its ​own since the start of the war. Trump has imposed ​a separate blockade of Iranian ports.

The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February ‌28. ⁠Iran responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states that host U.S. bases. U.S.-Israeli strikes 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% of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

Trump, ​who has offered shifting timelines and goals for the ​war that ⁠remains unpopular in the U.S., has faced widespread condemnation over his comments on the conflict, including when he threatened to destroy Iran's ⁠entire civilization ​last month.

Many U.S. experts said last ​month that American strikes on Iran may amount to war crimes after Trump threatened to target ​civilian infrastructure.

- Reuters