Shoot and kill any boat that puts mines in Hormuz: Trump's big order to US Navy

Donald Trump said that US minesweeping operations are already under way in the Strait of Hormuz and instructed that those efforts be intensified.

In Short

• Trump orders US Navy to use lethal force on boats laying mines in Strait of Hormuz
• Says mine-clearing operations in the strait are ongoing and to be intensified
• US military seizes another oil tanker associated with Iran

The conflict between the United States and Iran has entered a new dangerous phase, with President Donald Trump authorising lethal action against boats suspected of laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has issued a blunt directive to the US Navy, ordering it to shoot and kill any boats suspected of laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, "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."

He added that US mine-clearing operations are already under way in the strait and instructed that those efforts be intensified. "Additionally, our mine ‘sweepers’ are clearing the Strait right now. I am hereby ordering that activity to continue, but at a tripled up level!"

Trump's remarks drew a witty reaction from the Embassy of Iran in Zimbabwe, which appeared to question the wording of Trump’s order. On X, the embassy said: "Excuse me? Kill boats? Is it possible to kill boats?"

TRUMP CLAIMS TO HAVE TOTAL CONTROL OVER HORMUZ

This comes at a time when fears are mounting that the threat of mines and the face-off between the two navies may keep the vital trade route closed longer than expected. Minutes after his post, the US President doubled down with another measured message.

"Iran is having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is! They just don’t know! The infighting is between the 'Hardliners,' who have been losing BADLY on the battlefield, and the 'Moderates,' who are not very moderate at all (but gaining respect!), is CRAZY!"

He also claimed that the United States has full control over the waterway and is tightly regulating movement through it. "We have total control over the Strait of Hormuz. 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!!!"

The US President issued statements after US forces boarded the "sanctioned stateless" tanker M/T Majestic X overnight, claiming it was carrying Iranian oil. It also said a Navy destroyer is escorting another Iran-linked vessel, Dorena, after it allegedly attempted to breach the blockade.

Iran has made its position clear. It said the strait will not fully reopen as long as the US continues to violate the ceasefire. The disruption has already pushed up oil and gas prices and shaken global markets.

However, a week ago, Trump had claimed both sides are now working towards clearing the waterway. "Iran, with the help of the USA, has removed, or is removing, all sea mines!" he said in another post.

MINES HAMPER REOPENING OF HORMUZ

Reports suggest the scale of the mine threat may be bigger than initially thought. According to The New York Times, Iran has struggled to fully reopen the strait because it cannot locate all the mines it deployed amid the conflict. The report said some mines were laid using small boats, but their exact positions may not have been properly recorded. Others were designed to drift, making them even harder to track and remove.

A separate report by The Washington Post said US lawmakers were told the strait could remain disrupted for 6 months. The estimate was shared during a classified Pentagon briefing, citing officials familiar with the discussion. But Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell rejected the claims. "One assessment does not mean the assessment is plausible, and a six-month closure of the Strait of Hormuz is an impossibility and completely unacceptable to the Secretary," he added, according to AFP.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned of a "danger zone" covering about 1,400 sq km, where mines could still be present. Tehran also has warned against any foreign military attempting to cross into the area.

The scale of the crisis has forced a global response. London has hosted talks with more than 30 nations, working on a joint mission led by Britain and France to secure shipping routes once tensions ease. The mission will focus on reopening the strait and removing mines. But past conflicts offer a reality check. After the Gulf War, clearing the waters took more than two years for international forces to remove hundreds of mines and declare nearby waters safe again.

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