Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst detailed on Monday his call with President Donald Trump, in which the president issued a new, strongly worded threat against Iran amid rising tensions.

“I spoke with President Trump for 20 minutes about the situation with Iran. He talked about Project Freedom and the U.S. efforts to guide vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, issuing a new warning to the Iranian regime, saying if the Iranians try to target U.S. ships in this area, they will be, quote, ‘Blown off the face of the earth,’” Yingst reported after an introduction from anchor Sandra Smith.

“Remember, this was a project implemented by the Americans overnight to assist the hundreds of vessels that are currently trapped in the Persian Gulf. We’re talking about more than 20,000 sailors. And the President told Fox he’s doing this for humanity. Some of these sailors were running out of food and supplies on these vessels due to the Iranian threats that are ongoing in this area,” Yingst continued, adding:

And again, the President is saying that if U.S. ships in the region are targeted, the Iranians will be blown off the face of the earth. Now, I also asked President Trump about the possibility of negotiations with Iran succeeding. He said the Iranians are being far more malleable than they were being in the past, showing flexibility, given the U.S. pressure that continues as part of the American blockade of Iranian ports.

President Trump called that blockade the greatest military maneuver in history. As it relates to the combat preparations that continue across the region, President Trump understands there are two paths here. The Iranians either make a good-faith deal or ultimately combat operations could resume. And President Trump told Fox News that right now they have bases all over the world. There are American preparations underway.

He said, “They’re all stocked with equipment and we can use all of that stuff and if he needs it, he will use it.” But the headline here, Sandra, the President issuing a new warning to the Iranian regime if they do fire on U.S. vessels in the Persian Gulf or near the Strait of Hormuz. And today we can report, according to CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper, there were multiple attempts on American vessels and merchant ships in this region. And Cooper says that there were U.S. efforts to shoot down both missiles and drones in the Persian Gulf as these Iranian efforts to attack vessels in the region continue.

“Alright, so, Trey, is it fair to say you got a sense of optimism as this continues from President Trump in that phone call?” followed up Smith.

Yingst replied, “Yeah, absolutely. The president is in charge here in terms of not only the negotiating table, but also the U.S. military posture across the region. You have the excellence of the U.S. Navy on display here. And the president even talked about how just two weeks ago there was that vessel that tried to break through the U.S. blockade and ultimately American forces fired into the engine room after giving the vessel four separate warnings and it stopped that vessel in its tracks.”

“And this is a display of what will happen if the Iranians try to test the U.S. blockade. So far, it’s been quite successful in stopping these vessels specifically from Iranian ports. Remember, this is very important to note here. The United States is not trying to stop any sort of merchant vessels who are going through the Strait of Hormuz. They’re actually trying to help these vessels make their way through this area, despite the Iranian threats,” he added, concluding:

It’s the vessels that are coming from Iranian ports that are being stopped. And we’re talking about a lot of oil that is currently in the Persian Gulf that now the United States has control over when and where it moves. And the president talked about this as well. The Iranians tried to put pressure on the United States and the military in the region, and their plan backfired. And ultimately, that led to President Trump controlling the Strait of Hormuz, and that is what we are seeing right now. Iranian ports are totally stopped at this moment. They cannot move vessels out through the Strait of Hormuz due to the U.S. Navy blockade. And the President now is issuing this new warning to the Iranian regime if they try to escalate in the Persian Gulf.

Trump also took to his Truth Social platform to address the topic, writing, “Iran has taken some shots at unrelated Nations with respect to the Ship Movement, PROJECT FREEDOM, including a South Korean Cargo Ship. Perhaps it’s time for South Korea to come and join the mission! We’ve shot down seven small Boats or, as they like to call them, “fast” Boats. It’s all they have left. Other than the South Korean Ship, there has been, at this moment, no damage going through the Strait. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, will have a News Conference tomorrow morning. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

Watch the clip above via Fox News.

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