President Donald Trump issued a three-word order if the U.S. military catches any boat putting mines in the Strait of Hormuz — “shoot and kill.”
Trump announced the order to the public in a post on Truth Social Thursday, The Hill reported.
The Trump administration has upped efforts to clear mines from the waterway.
“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,” Trump wrote.
“Additionally, our mine ‘sweepers’ are clearing the Strait right now. I am hereby ordering that activity to continue, but at a tripled up level!” he continued.
Trump’s post comes as there is uncertainty over how long the strait will be unusable. Trump on extended the ceasefire with Iran indefinitely and has kept the blockade in place on Tuesday.
The Washington Post reported Wednesday the Pentagon told Congress that clearing the mines out of the strait could take six months.
The waterway typically sees the passage of about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas, but oil-tanker traffic has been less than normal since the start of the war, leaving oil prices high, the outlet reported.
In a post on X Wednesday night, U.S. Central Command said U.S. forced 31 vessels to “turn around or return to port as part of the U.S. blockade against Iran.”
In a another post on Truth Social Thursday, Trump said Iran was 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 wrote. “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 White House said Trump is not putting a deadline on when Iran has to provide a new peace proposal to the U.S.
