Trump orders US military to ‘shoot and kill’ Iranian small boats choking Strait of Hormuz
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he has ordered the U.S. military to “shoot and kill” small Iranian boats that were laying mines to block traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump’s post on social media came shortly after the US military seized another tanker linked to smuggling Iranian oil, driving a wedge between Tehran over the strait through which 20% of all crude oil and natural gas trade passes.
“I have ordered the US Navy to shoot and kill any boat, including small boats that mine the waters of the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said. “Don’t hesitate. Also, our minesweeping teams are currently clearing the Bosphorus.”
“I order this activity to continue, but at a threefold increase!” Trump added.
He also said the military was intensifying demining operations in the critical waterway.
The move came a day after Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard attacked three cargo ships in the strait and captured two of them.
The Department of Defense released video footage early Thursday of US forces on board the Majestic X, a Guinean-flagged oil tanker seized in the Indian Ocean.
“We will continue global maritime sanctions to disrupt illicit networks and ban ships providing material support to Iran wherever they operate,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
Trump claims leadership rift in Iran
Ship tracking data showed that the Majestic He was going to Zhoushan, China.
The ship was previously named Phonix and was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in 2024 for smuggling Iranian crude oil in violation of US sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
There has been no response from Iran yet to the news of the seizure.
Trump this week extended the ceasefire To give the frazzled Iranian leadership more time to present a “common proposal” on ending the war, while maintaining the American blockade of Iranian ports.
There was no indication yet whether the peace talks, previously hosted by Pakistan, would resume anytime soon.
In a separate post on Thursday, Trump claimed that the leadership divide between moderates and radicals was troubling Iran.
“Iran has a hard time understanding who their leaders are! They just don’t know!” Trump said.
While Trump repeatedly said that his team was dealing with Iranian officials who wanted to make a deal throughout the ceasefire that started on April 8, he acknowledged that the decision to kill many senior leaders brought with it some complications.
Fragile ceasefire
Elsewhere on the diplomatic track, Lebanon and Israel Second round of talks to be held in Washington discuss the possibility of extension truce Between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group.
The latest war between Israel and Hezbollah began after Tehran-backed militants fired rockets into northern Israel, two days after Israel and the United States attacked Iran.
In a new demonstration showing the fragility of the ceasefire that took effect in Lebanon on Friday, Hezbollah said it had attacked Israeli positions in southern Lebanon and targeted Israeli soldiers in the village of Taybeh.
Both sides accused each other of violating the 10-day ceasefire.
Tensions between the USA and Iran halted almost all exports along the Bosphorus with no end in sight.
Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi on Thursday red liquid splashed Leaving a building after a press conference in Berlin. The alleged perpetrator was immediately detained by the police.
During the event, Pahlavi criticized the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, suggesting that the agreement assumes that the Iranian government’s behavior will change and that “you’re going to be dealing with people who suddenly become pragmatists.”
65 year old Pahlavi in exile for nearly 50 years. He hated his father, the Shah of Iran, so much that in 1979 millions of people took to the streets to remove him from power. Still, Pahlavi is trying to position himself as a player in his country’s future.
Threat to ship shipments to the Strait of Hormuz
More than 30 ships have been attacked in the waters of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman since the war between Iran, Israel and the USA began on February 28.
The threat of attack, rising insurance premiums and other fears prevented traffic from passing through the strait. Iran’s talent restrict traffic Passing through the strait from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean has proven to be a great strategic advantage.
The ceasefire became tense due to US attacks on Iranian ships and Iranian attacks on commercial ships. It also remains unclear when or whether the two sides will meet again in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, where officials say they are still trying to bring the countries together to reach a diplomatic agreement.
Conflict already posted Natural gas prices are increasing rapidly increased food prices far beyond the region and a wide range of other products. Officials around the world have warned that the pandemic’s impact on businesses, consumers and economies could be long-lasting.
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Madhani reported from Washington and Keaten from Geneva.
