Trump orders US forces to target Iranian mine-laying boats in Strait of Hormuz
Donald Trump has said he has instructed the US military to “shoot and kill” any Iranian small boats deploying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions in one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.
In a social media post on Thursday, Mr Trump said US naval forces were already clearing mines from the area and would intensify those operations. “There is to be no hesitation,” he wrote, adding that mine-sweeping efforts would continue “at a tripled-up level.”
The directive follows a series of confrontations in the region. A day earlier, Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly attacked three cargo ships in the strait, seizing two of them.
Separately, the US Department of Defense confirmed that American forces had intercepted another tanker linked to Iranian oil smuggling. Footage released on Thursday showed US personnel boarding the Guinea-flagged vessel Majestic X in international waters of the Indian Ocean.
According to US officials, the tanker had previously been sanctioned in 2024 for transporting Iranian crude in violation of US restrictions. Ship-tracking data placed the vessel between Sri Lanka and Indonesia en route to China.
“We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
Iran has not issued an immediate response to the latest seizure, but officials have repeatedly condemned US maritime enforcement actions, describing them as equivalent to a blockade and an act of war.
The developments come amid broader upheaval within the US military leadership. Navy Secretary John Phelan was dismissed this week without explanation, with Hung Cao named as his replacement. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has also removed several senior figures since taking office, including Joint Chiefs chairman Charles Q. Brown Jr..
The situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains volatile, with global energy markets closely watching for further disruptions to shipping through the narrow passage.
