Trump's pirates remark direct admission of criminality: Iran demands UN action

Iran accused Donald Trump of admitting criminality after he said the US Navy acted like pirates against Iranian vessels. Tehran has urged the UN and its member states to reject any normalisation of such conduct under international law.

In Short

• Iran accuses Trump of admitting piracy in US naval actions
• Tehran calls Trump's remarks a criminal admission at sea
• Tehran said Iranian vessels had been unlawfully seized by US

Iran has accused US President Donald Trump of making a “direct admission of criminality” after he likened the US Navy’s actions against Iranian vessels to piracy, and called on the United Nations to intervene. Tehran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Trump’s remarks amounted to an open acknowledgement of unlawful conduct at sea.

“The President of the United States has openly described the unlawful seizure of Iranian vessels as ‘piracy,’ brazenly boasting that ‘we act like pirates’,” Baqaei said in a statement. “This was no verbal slip. It was a direct and damning admission of the criminal nature of their actions against international maritime navigation.”

He urged the international community, UN member states and the UN Secretary-General to reject what he described as attempts to normalise violations of international law.

TRUMP’S ‘PIRATES’ REMARK

The response followed Trump’s comments on Friday, when he described US naval operations enforcing a blockade on Iran as being “like pirates.”

“We took over the ship, we took over the cargo, we took over the oil. It’s a very profitable business,” Trump said. “We’re like pirates. We’re sort of like pirates, but we are not playing games.”

US forces have in recent days seized vessels linked to Iran, including tankers and container ships, as part of Washington’s broader pressure campaign during the ongoing conflict involving Iran and Israel.

ESCALATING MARITIME TENSIONS

The confrontation at sea has intensified alongside the wider conflict, with Iran restricting most shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route, while the US has imposed its own blockade on Iranian ports.

The disruption has affected a critical corridor that handles roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, contributing to volatility in energy markets.

WAR CONTEXT AND GLOBAL REACTION

The current phase of the conflict began on February 28, when US and Israeli forces launched strikes on Iran, prompting retaliatory attacks by Tehran on Israel and Gulf states hosting US bases.

The fighting has resulted in large-scale casualties and displacement, with hostilities also spilling over into Lebanon.
Trump’s remarks have drawn criticism from several quarters, adding to earlier controversy over his statements on the war, including threats to target Iranian infrastructure. Some US experts have also raised concerns over the legality of certain actions during the conflict.

Iran, meanwhile, has framed the US naval operations as unlawful and is seeking broader international scrutiny through the United Nations.

- Ends
With agency inputs