Eliezer Marom, former commander of Israel’s navy, said Donald Trump’s emphasis on controlling the Strait of Hormuz is “an index finger in the eye” for officials of the Islamic Republic, and he is sending them the message that they do not have control over this waterway.

He added that with this approach, Trump is trying to take “the last remaining strategic lever” from Iran.

In an interview with Radio “103FM,” Marom spoke about U.S. pressures on the Islamic Republic, saying that Washington has focused its efforts on economic pressure.

He said: “The Americans have set the army aside and handed direction of the work to the Treasury Secretary and the Energy Secretary. The goal is to strangle Iran’s economy.”

Marom said the U.S. Energy Secretary, together with the country’s navy, is trying to move other countries’ oil out of the Persian Gulf and through the Oman route.

According to him, the Americans have apparently succeeded in taking oil out of the Persian Gulf both through pipelines and with small tankers that move near the coasts of Oman. He said these actions have enraged Iran greatly and that Tehran cannot remain without reaction to the current conditions.