Tehran:
Iran has mocked the Donald Trump administration’s naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz targeting Iranian oil exports, highlighting what Tehran terms the failure of Washington’s strategy. In a sarcastic message posted on X, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf noted that, contrary to US President Donald Trump’s predictions, so far none of Iran’s oil wells had “exploded”.
On April 26, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that Iran’s oil wells would “explode” in a “very powerful” destructive process starting in three days.
As Trump’s deadline passed, Ghalibaf ridiculed the notion that a maritime blockade on commercial shipments would immediately cripple Iran’s oil production. “3 days in, no well exploded. We could extend to 30 and livestream the well here.”
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The 64-year-old former military commander blamed “junk advice” from top US officials like Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for pushing the theory of economic pressure, claiming it had instead spiked global oil prices to $120 per barrel, with $140 likely as the “next stop”.
“That was the kind of junk advice the US admin gets from people like Bessent, who also push the blockade theory and cranked oil up to $120+. Next stop: 140. The issue isn’t the theory, it’s the mindset,” he wrote.
3 days in, no well exploded.We could extend to 30 and livestream the well here.
That was the kind of junk advice the US admin gets from people like Bessent who also push the blockade theory and cranked oil up to $120+. Next stop:140. The issue isn’t the theory, it’s the mindset.— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) April 29, 2026
Ghalibaf, a former IRGC Air Force commander and Tehran mayor (2005-2017), has a background in engineering and a reputation as a “pragmatic” hardliner with deep roots in Iran’s security apparatus. He is leading Iran’s negotiations with the United States regarding Middle East security and nuclear issues.
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The US Strategy
Trump has ordered the US military to impose a blockade on Iran’s maritime trade to trap the regime’s oil inside Iran. The US is hoping the move will force Tehran to make a choice between slashing production and losing revenue or risking infrastructure damage from clogging and over-pressurisation in pipelines and reservoirs.
Trump appears to have decided to keep the blockade in place till there is a permanent peace deal with Iran, hoping it will end the stalemate at the negotiating table. The blockade has cut into a key source of government revenue and hard currency by stopping or intercepting oil shipments.
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However, due to the prolonged supply crunch of Gulf oil, Brent crude has jumped 6 per cent to $118.0, up by $6.77, as of 8.30 am in Tokyo trade on Thursday (April 30, 2026). It’s highest since June 2022.
Iran’s leaders are betting that an economy built to be self-reliant under decades of international sanctions can endure the pain.