President Donald Trump has claimed that all sea mines have been removed or detonated from international waters in the Strait of Hormuz, while warning Iran against attempting to lay new mines in the strategically important waterway.
In a social media statement, Trump said he had been informed by the US Navy that the mines had been cleared.
The president also issued a direct warning to Iran, saying any vessel involved in placing new mines in the Strait of Hormuz would face an immediate and forceful response.
Trump Says Strait of Hormuz Has Been Cleared
According to Trump’s statement, US forces have completed an operation to remove or detonate sea mines that were reportedly present in international waters around the Strait of Hormuz.
The president did not provide further operational details about how many mines were involved, where they were located or when the clearance operation was completed.
Trump said Iran had been warned that any ship or boat attempting to deploy additional mines would be destroyed.
The warning represents another escalation in US rhetoric surrounding the crucial maritime passage, which has become a major flashpoint during the confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
Trump Announces Zero-Tolerance Policy on Sea Mines
Trump said the United States is enforcing a zero-tolerance policy toward the deployment of new sea mines in the region.
Sea mines can pose a major threat to commercial shipping and naval vessels because they can remain hidden beneath the water and damage or destroy ships passing through affected areas.
Even the possibility of mines can force commercial vessels to change routes, delay journeys and seek additional security measures.
The Strait of Hormuz is particularly sensitive because of its importance to international energy transportation.
Any prolonged disruption could affect global oil and gas supplies and potentially push energy prices higher.
US Space Force Monitoring Strait, Trump Says
Trump also claimed that the United States Space Force was monitoring the entire Strait of Hormuz.
He said US forces were maintaining surveillance across the waterway while also monitoring Iranian nuclear facilities.
Trump specifically mentioned Pickaxe Mountain and three other nuclear-related sites that he said had already been destroyed.
The president did not provide additional details about the surveillance operation in his statement.
The claims come amid heightened military tensions between the United States and Iran and continuing concerns over security around the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump Warns Iran Against New Mine Deployment
Trump’s warning to Tehran was direct: any attempt to lay new mines would trigger an immediate US military response.
He said American forces would systematically destroy vessels involved in placing mines.
The statement suggests Washington views maritime security as a critical priority as it attempts to maintain freedom of navigation through the waterway.
For Iran, control or disruption of shipping through Hormuz has remained an important source of leverage in its confrontation with the United States.
The competing claims over maritime control have created significant uncertainty for commercial shipping companies operating in the region.
Trump Says Iran Faces Humanitarian Crisis
In a separate statement, Trump described Iran as facing a major humanitarian crisis.
He claimed that the Iranian government was struggling to pay military personnel and argued that the situation required an immediate end to the crisis.
Trump has repeatedly pointed to Iran’s economic difficulties as evidence that US military and economic pressure is weakening Tehran.
Iranian officials, however, have continued to reject Washington’s pressure campaign and disputed US claims about the country’s military and economic condition.
Hormuz Remains Critical to Global Energy Supplies
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, making it one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
Large quantities of crude oil and liquefied natural gas normally pass through the waterway on their way to international markets.
The threat of sea mines adds another security concern to an already tense environment involving military vessels, commercial shipping and competing claims of control.
Trump’s latest warning indicates that Washington intends to respond aggressively to any new attempt to restrict maritime traffic.
With the United States claiming that existing mines have been cleared and warning Iran against deploying new ones, the security situation around the Strait of Hormuz remains highly volatile.
