TEHRAN, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei on Saturday condemned U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks that called the U.S. seizure of Iranian vessels "piracy."

"The president of the United States has openly described the unlawful seizure of Iranian vessels as 'piracy,' brazenly boasting that 'we act like pirates,'" Baghaei said in an X post.

"This was no verbal slip. It was a direct and damning admission of the criminal nature of their actions against international maritime navigation," Baghaei added.

Trump on Friday bragged that the U.S. Navy acted "like pirates" in its blockade of Iranian ports. "We took over the ship, we took over the cargo, we took over the oil. It's a very profitable business," Trump said at an event in Florida.

Baghaei called on the international community, UN member states, and the UN secretary-general to firmly reject any normalization of such "blatant violations" of international law.

The United States imposed its anti-Iran blockade on the Strait of Hormuz after post-ceasefire negotiations with Tehran in Pakistan's capital Islamabad on April 11-12 failed to yield an agreement.

The ceasefire between Iran, the United States and Israel took effect on April 8 following 40 days of fighting. On Feb. 28, the United States and Israel launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior commanders and civilians.

Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the Middle East, while tightening its grip on the Strait of Hormuz and denying safe passage to vessels linked to Israel and the United States. ■