US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he ordered the US Navy to “shoot and kill” any small vessel caught laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz as a ceasefire between Washington and Tehran continues, Anadolu reports.
“I have ordered the United States Navy to shoot and kill any boat … that is putting mines in the waters,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, adding that there is “to be no hesitation” in executing the order.
He claimed that the entirety of Iran’s naval fleet, consisting of 159 ships, lies “at the bottom of the sea” and any boat laying mines would be “small boats.”
The president also commanded an immediate tripling of minesweeping activities to clear the transit route, which Iran effectively disrupted following the beginning of the US-Israeli offensive on Feb. 28.
The order comes amid a ceasefire with Iran, which Trump extended indefinitely on Tuesday amid stalled negotiations.
The Pentagon told Congress that fully clearing the strait of mines could take up to six months, according to a report by the Washington Post. Lawmakers were told Iran may have placed 20 or more mines in and around the waterway, with some deployed remotely using GPS technology, making detection significantly more difficult, it reported.
READ: FIFA under fire as Trump envoy pushes to replace Iran with Italy at World Cup
The debate about mines in the Strait of Hormuz is not new. Trump suggested Iran had removed or was removing the mines, and that most Iranian “mine droppers” had been destroyed in US strikes.
But Iran has denied placing mines in the waterway, calling the allegations American propaganda, though Iranian media reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. has issued safe passage maps in the area.
‘Total control’ of Strait of Hormuz
Trump claimed in a separate post that Tehran is experiencing intense internal conflict between hardliners, whom he said are “losing badly on the battlefield,” and moderates, who are “not very moderate” but “gaining respect.”
“Iran is having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is,” he claimed.
Trump asserted that Washington maintains “total control” of the Strait of Hormuz, and that no vessel can transit without the consent of the US Navy. He described the strait as being “sealed up tight” until Iran is “able to make a deal.”
US forces have directed 31 vessels to turn around or return to port as part of Washington’s naval blockade of Iranian ports, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Thursday.
READ: Iran executes former official accused of collaborating with Mossad
