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U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Sunday to strike Iran "very hard again" if it does not stop Hezbollah's activity in Lebanon, escalating a string of warnings delivered both on Truth Social and in a Fox News interview over the status of the Strait of Hormuz.
"Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
"If they don't, we'll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!" he added.
In a separate interview with Fox News's Trey Yingst, Trump said he had personally warned Iranian officials overnight against closing the Strait of Hormuz.
"You close it, and you won't have a country," Trump said he told them.
"You won't even make it back to your f**** country," he said.
Trump said the U.S. could take direct action over the strait if necessary.
"We may take over the Strait if we have to," he told Fox News, adding, "I'll blow the s*** out of them."
Trump also outlined a financial dimension to potential U.S. involvement in the strait, telling Fox News the United States could become the "Guardian Angel" of the waterway and take 20% of the oil passing through it. "If they don't make a deal, we'll collect tolls," he said.
Trump earlier posted on Truth Social that, "There will be no tolls in the Hormuz Strait for 60 days during the Cease Fire Period, and there will be no tolls after the 60 day period has expired, unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America, should the deal not be completed, for services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for purposes of both past, present, and future reimbursement of costs."
Iranian state media reported that Iran will keep the Strait of Hormuz closed until a ceasefire with Lebanon takes effect, according to Tasnim News Agency, which cited a source close to the negotiating team.
The source said sanctions waivers allowing the sale of Iranian oil would also need to be issued first.
While Lebanon is not a party to the U.S.-Iran agreement, Iran has repeatedly said a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is a precondition for its negotiations with the United States.
Complicating the dispute, the U.S. military has insisted the strait is not, in fact, closed at all.
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