Trump ‌made the comments while describing the seizure by US forces of a ship a few days ago.

“We took over the ship, we took over ​the cargo, we took over the oil. It’s a very ​profitable business,” Trump said in remarks on Friday evening.

“We’re ⁠like pirates. We’re sort of like pirates, but we are not ​playing games.”

Some of Tehran’s vessels have been seized by the US after leaving ​Iranian ports, along with sanctioned container ships and Iranian tankers in Asian waters.

Iran has blocked nearly all ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz apart from its ​own since the start of the war.

Trump has imposed ​a separate blockade of Iranian ports.

The US and Israel attacked Iran on February ‌28. ⁠

Iran responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states that host U.S. bases.

US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions.

The war has raised oil prices ​and led to the ​blockade of ⁠the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

Trump, ​who has offered shifting timelines and goals for the ​war that ⁠remains unpopular in the US, has faced widespread condemnation over his comments on the conflict, including when he threatened to destroy Iran’s ⁠entire civilisation ​last month.

Many US experts said last ​month that American strikes on Iran may amount to war crimes after Trump threatened to target ​civilian infrastructure.