Iran Calls on UN to Condemn US ‘Piracy’ After Trump’s ‘Like Pirates’ Boast
Reflecto News | Breaking News | US-Iran Relations
NEW YORK/TEHRAN — Iran has formally called on the United Nations to condemn the United States for what it describes as “state-sponsored piracy,” following President Donald Trump’s public boast that the US Navy acts “like pirates” in seizing Iranian oil tankers .
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei issued the demand on Saturday, calling Trump’s remarks a “direct and damning admission of the criminal nature of their actions against international maritime navigation” .
“The President of the United States has openly described the unlawful seizure of Iranian vessels as ‘piracy,’ brazenly boasting that ‘we act like pirates.’ This was no verbal slip. It was a direct and damning admission of the criminal nature of their actions against international maritime navigation.”
— Esmaeil Baqaei, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman
🔫 Trump’s ‘Pirate’ Boast: ‘We’re Sort of Like Pirates’
Speaking at the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches Dinner in Florida on Friday, Trump offered a detailed and graphic account of how US forces intercept Iranian vessels .
“We took over the ship, we took over the cargo, took over the oil. It’s a very profitable business. Who would have thought we’d be doing that? We’re like pirates. We’re sort of like pirates. But we’re not playing games.”
— President Donald J. Trump
Trump described a military-style boarding operation: “‘Turn your ship around! Evacuate your engine room immediately!’ and you see all these guys running out of there,” he recounted. “Now they’re five miles away, in one shot into the engine room, blew up the engine room, the ship stopped” .
The vessels involved were identified as the M/T Majestic and M/T Tifani, carrying a total of approximately 3.8 million barrels of oil .
📜 Iran’s UN Protest: ‘State-Sponsored Piracy’
Baqaei urged the international community, UN member states, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres to “firmly reject any normalization of such blatant violations of international law” .
This latest demand follows a formal complaint lodged by Iran’s UN envoy, Amir Saeid Iravani, in a letter to Guterres and the Security Council on April 28 . In that letter, Iravani accused the US of engaging in “state-sponsored piracy and terrorism,” calling the seizures “a flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations, in particular Article 2(4)” .
“In substance and effect, such actions are identical to state-sponsored piracy and terrorism, carried out under the guise of domestic processes that have no standing under international law.”
— Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s Ambassador to the UN
Iran has stated that it reserves “every right, in accordance with international law, to counter these insolent actions” .
🚢 ‘A Very Profitable Business’: The Economics of Seizures
Trump has been remarkably candid about the financial motivations behind the seizures. According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the Navy has redirected 48 vessels in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz over the past 20 days .
CENTCOM confirmed that the USS New Orleans (LPD-18) is operating in the Arabian Sea as part of what it described as a “blockade of Iranian ports” .
Trump’s “very profitable business” comment appears to refer both to the value of the confiscated oil and to the strategic benefit of denying Iran revenue from oil sales.
⚖️ ‘Two Tracks’: Diplomacy and Military Force
Despite the harsh rhetoric, Iran has signaled it is keeping diplomatic channels open. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told diplomats in Tehran that “the ball is now in the United States’ court to choose the path of diplomacy or the continuation of a confrontational approach” .
Trump, for his part, has confirmed that he is reviewing a new 14-point peace proposal from Iran but has cast doubt on its acceptability .
📋 Key Takeaways
| Aspect | Summary |
|---|---|
| Trump’s Remarks | “We’re like pirates. We’re sort of like pirates” — boasting of seizing Iranian oil tankers |
| Vessels Seized | M/T Majestic and M/T Tifani; ~3.8 million barrels of oil |
| Iran’s Response | Called Trump’s remarks a “damning admission of criminal nature” |
| UN Protest | Iran’s UN envoy lodged formal complaint on April 28; new demand to condemn US actions |
| Legal Argument | Iran calls seizures “state-sponsored piracy” and a violation of the UN Charter |
| CENTCOM Update | 48 vessels redirected in past 20 days; USS New Orleans enforcing blockade |
| Iran’s Stance | “Ball is in US court” — open to diplomacy but reserves right to respond |
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