After TACO, Trump has a new nickname - NACHO - ‘Not A Chance...'

Donald Trump says the Strait of Hormuz is open, hours later announces it is closed, only to go back on his statement and again say that it is open. His changing stance on the crucial waterway has earned him a new nickname - NACHO, "Not A Chance Hormuz Opens," bestowed by a financial trader, according to Bloomberg columnist Javier Blas. He wrote on X, “We thought we were getting a TACO, ‘Trump Always Chickens Out.’ But so far we are getting a NACHO, ‘Not A Chance Hormuz Opens,’". The US imposed its own blockade on the Strait of Hormuz after talks with Iran failed. Tehran even mocked Trump for blocking something that was already blocked. All his efforts to reopen the strait, which Iran closed soon after the war started on February 28, have failed. He even issued shocking threats to force Iran to remove the blockade. In one post on X, he wrote, "Open the Fuckin' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell." In another post, he wrote, "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again" if the Strait of Hormuz was not opened by the set deadline.

Also Read: Trump shares map showing Hormuz as 'Strait of Trump' hours after saying Iran will have to 'cry uncle' to end blockade

Failed talks between Iran and US

The blockade of the Strait has led to a fuel shortage across the world as roughly 20 per cent of the world’s crude oil is transported through this waterway. This led prices to shoot up to over $100 per barrel, shaking the stock markets. Despite a ceasefire being announced, the situation in the region remains tense. Iran has refused to open the Strait, while the US initiated a blockade of Iranian ports. Tehran has said that it will end its blockade if Trump removes his, but the US President is adamant and first wants a deal on the country's nuclear enrichment program. Peace talks between the two nations have failed, and the second round of talks failed to take off. The US sent a 15-point plan to Iran, and in response, the latter prepared its own 10-point plan, but nothing materialised.

Also Read: Iran’s 11-ton enriched uranium mystery deepens post US strikes. Where is it now?

Iran and the US are at a standoff over Iran's nuclear program, as Trump has said that an absolute suspension of nuclear enrichment is a must for any deal. Trump's administration maintains that the blockade must stay in place until a deal is signed, while Iran insists the blockade be lifted before it takes further action.