By President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered the U.S. Navy to open fire on any vessels deploying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions in a critical global shipping corridor.
“I have ordered the United States Navy to shoot and kill any boat, small boats though they may be (Their naval ships are ALL, 159 of them, at the bottom of the sea!), that is putting mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz. There is to be no hesitation,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump also directed an expansion of ongoing mine-clearing operations. “Additionally, our mine ‘sweepers’ are clearing the Strait right now. I am hereby ordering that activity to continue, but at a tripled up level!” he added.
In a separate post, noted The Daily Caller, the president asserted U.S. control over access to the waterway. “No ship can enter or leave without the approval of the United States Navy. It is ‘Sealed up Tight,’ until such time as Iran is able to make a DEAL!!!” he wrote.
The directive follows a series of confrontations in the region. One day earlier, Iranian forces fired on three commercial vessels and seized two of them in the strait. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, acknowledged an extension of the ceasefire but did not confirm whether Tehran would participate in a new round of negotiations, according to the Associated Press.
Despite the escalation, no American warships are currently stationed inside the strait itself, according to ABC News. Seventeen Navy vessels remain positioned in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, and previous strikes against Iranian mine-laying craft have been carried out by aircraft.
A Pentagon assessment cited by ABC News found that clearing mines from the waterway could take up to six months, underscoring the potential duration of any disruption to maritime traffic.
U.S. Central Command has redirected 31 ships since the blockade began on April 13. Meanwhile, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the strait cannot reopen while the American blockade remains in place, according to CNBC.
Trump, however, signaled no urgency in resolving the standoff. He told NBC News that there is “no time pressure” on reaching a deal with Tehran.
The latest developments come as the administration maintains its blockade of Iran and an extended ceasefire, with negotiations between the two sides still unresolved.
