Trump issues ‘shoot and kill’ order in dramatic Hormuz escalation as Pentagon posts chilling video of US troops seizing ship carrying Iranian oil amid unraveling ceasefire
Donald Trump is stepping up efforts to prevent Iran from using the Strait of Hormuz, demanding the US Navy ‘shoot down and kill’ any Iranian boat that mines the Persian Gulf.
The President wrote on Truth Social on Thursday morning: ‘I have ordered the United States Navy to shoot and kill any boat, no matter how small, that lays mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz (ALL of the Navy ships, 159 of them at the bottom of the sea!).
‘There should be no hesitation. Additionally, our minesweepers are currently clearing the Bosphorus. ‘I hereby order that this activity should continue, but in a tripled manner!’
US forces also seized another tanker caught smuggling regime oil, just a day after Tehran seized two ships.
Shortly before the president’s inauguration, the Pentagon released videos showing US marines boarding the Iranian oil tanker Majestic X in the Indian Ocean. It was reported that the ship was carrying oil produced by the Iranian regime.
“We will continue global maritime sanctions to disrupt illicit networks and interdict ships providing material support to Iran wherever they operate,” the Pentagon wrote to X.
The Pentagon warned that sanctioned actors will not be able to use international waters as cover and vowed to continue preventing ‘illegal actors and their ships’ from operating freely at sea.
Global oil prices began to rise rapidly on Thursday as concerns grew that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran could be broken. The price of Brent crude oil rose 1.3 percent to over $103 per barrel on Thursday morning.
Trump is stepping up pressure to prevent Iran from using the Strait of Hormuz, demanding the US Navy ‘shoot down and kill’ any Iranian boat that mines the Persian Gulf.
Shortly before the president’s Truth Social post, the Pentagon released video showing US marines boarding the Majestic X oil tanker in the Indian Ocean.
A day earlier, Iran had retaliated against Trump’s naval blockade of Hormuz by attacking three oil tankers and seizing two ships.
Masked warriors are seen running towards the MSC-Francesca using a gunboat before climbing onto its hull with rifles strapped to their backs.
There has been no response from Iran yet to the news of the seizure.
A day earlier, Iran had retaliated against Trump’s naval blockade of Hormuz by attacking three oil tankers and seizing two ships. Iranian state media published a video showing masked commandos boarding two cargo ships
Masked warriors are seen running towards the MSC-Francesca using a gunboat before climbing onto its hull with rifles strapped to their backs.
Rising tensions have effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil flows.
Earlier this week, Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran for a fourth time without setting a deadline but still maintained the American blockade of Iranian ports.
The president extended the ceasefire in part because he was reportedly reluctant to continue his bombing campaign and risked prolonging the conflict with Iran ahead of midterm elections.
It is said that Trump cited the war’s loss of popularity among the American people and the damage it caused to domestic inflation as reasons for this move.
Lack of communication with Iran’s senior leaders also played a role in Trump’s decision to extend the ceasefire indefinitely.
After attacking two cargo ships on Wednesday morning, Iran seized a third cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing it of being “incompatible” with the regime’s demands.
Trump’s naval blockade of Iran continues despite ongoing ceasefire
Iran’s attack on oil tankers trying to pass through the strait on Wednesday came in response to Trump’s seizure of a Tehran-linked ship earlier this week.
Trump announced on Sunday that the US Navy opened fire on, disabled and captured the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska in the Gulf of Oman.
The president claimed that the ship ignored many warnings while trying to bypass the naval blockade. The US Navy took control of the ship after disabling its engine.
Trump later boasted about the cargo the US seized on the ship, calling it a ‘gift from China’.
China, the largest buyer of Iranian oil, has been allowed by Tehran to pass through the strait, along with selected tankers bound for Pakistan and India, since the start of the war.
