President Donald Trump has escalated warnings to Iran, threatening military action against any mines laid in the Strait of Hormuz.
The announcement comes amid U.S.-Israeli strikes that have effectively halted nearly all tanker traffic through the vital oil corridor.
On Tuesday, Trump posted on social media, stating: “If Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait… we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!” He called their removal “a giant step in the right direction” and warned that Tehran would face military consequences if it failed to comply.
The president added that the U.S. would employ the same technology previously used against drug traffickers to “permanently eliminate any boat or ship attempting to mine the Hormuz Strait.”
US military strikes Iranian vessels
According to the U.S. Central Command, the military “eliminated” 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the strait. Trump previously claimed that 10 inactive vessels had already been “completely destroyed.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that strikes targeted mine-laying ships and storage facilities as part of ongoing operations against Iran’s navy.
In 2019, the Defense Intelligence Agency estimated that Iran had more than 5,000 naval mines that could be deployed quickly using small, high-speed boats.
The Strait of Hormuz
The Strait of Hormuz is a key maritime passage where roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments normally pass. The U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran has effectively halted commercial shipping along the route since February 28, raising concerns over global energy supply.
Top U.S. officials are exploring ways to escort vessels through the strait. General Dan Caine said the military is “looking at a range of options” for potential convoy operations, though the Navy has not yet provided near-daily escort requests from shipping companies.
Earlier Tuesday, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright posted on X that the Navy had successfully escorted a tanker through the strait, but the post was quickly deleted. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later clarified that no tankers had been escorted, attributing the post to a miscaptioned video.
These mixed signals have added to global uncertainty over maritime security and oil shipments in the region.
