US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to the Iranian leadership. Trump described the closure of the Hormuz Strait as a serious and unjustified violation. The US administration confirmed that the naval blockade imposed on Iran will remain. Washington refused to submit to what it called continuous Iranian blackmail in international corridors. The Pentagon announced an increased readiness level to handle any Gulf emergency. Washington's allied countries in the region received urgent and direct security reassurances today. Maximum American economic pressures on Tehran continue to force it to retreat. Direct diplomatic channels between the two countries appear completely closed at present. The US Navy has intensified its reconnaissance patrols near Iranian territorial waters. A state of intense anticipation prevails in political circles awaiting the next American move.