According to a report by Sky News, on Wednesday April 22, 2026, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took direct aim at Iran’s military credibility on after the country’s Revolutionary Guard announced the seizure of two international ships in the Strait of Hormuz, delivering a biting assessment that accused Tehran of behaving less like a regional naval power and more like open-sea pirates.
Leavitt’s comments, first made to Fox News before her broader press briefing, marked the United States government’s opening response to what Iranian authorities described as the “seizing” of two vessels, following reported attacks on three ships in the strategically sensitive waterway.
Rather than treating the development as a diplomatic flashpoint or a ceasefire violation, the press secretary chose a tone that was as dismissive as it was sharp. She noted that the Iranian navy had carried out the seizures using what she called “speedy gunboats” — a detail she used to undercut any perception of Iranian naval sophistication.
“Having the most lethal navy in the Middle East to now acting like a bunch of pirates,” Leavitt said, summarising what she framed as a dramatic and embarrassing decline in how Iran projects military power in the region.
The comments were not without context. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, which operates independently of the country’s conventional military, confirmed earlier that two ships had been seized in the Strait of Hormuz after three vessels reported attacks. The Guard has a long history of confrontations with commercial and military shipping in the region, particularly during periods of heightened tensions with the West.
On the question of whether the seizures amounted to a ceasefire violation, Leavitt was unambiguous: they do not. Her reasoning rested squarely on the nationality of the vessels involved.
“These were not US ships. These were not Israeli ships. These were two international vessels,” she said.
The White House’s response reflects a calculated posture — firm enough to signal disapproval, yet measured enough to avoid triggering direct escalation. Whether that balance holds will depend significantly on what happens next in the Strait.
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