Donald Trump has demanded that Iran remove any mines it may have laid in the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway that separates the Persian Gulf from the wider oceans.
On Tuesday, the former president took to his Truth Social platform to explain that, while he had no reports of such mine‑laying, the “military consequences for Iran could reach an unprecedented magnitude” if mines had indeed been deployed and not removed promptly. He added that the removal of these mines would be “a huge step in the right direction”.
Trump also warned that the United States would employ the same technologies and rocket capabilities used against drug traffickers to eliminate any vessel that tries to mine the Strait. “They will be fought swiftly and brutally” he wrote.
Shortly thereafter, Trump posted that he was pleased to report that in the preceding hours he had “hit and fully destroyed ten inactive mine‑laying boats and/or ships” and that additional strikes would follow.
Earlier, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright had incorrectly claimed that the U.S. Navy had successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz. The White House later denied this statement, and the misinformation briefly caused oil prices to fall sharply.