President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. Navy has completely cleared the Strait of Hormuz of Iranian-laid mines, indicating a possible major step toward ending the war, now approaching its sixth month.
Since the memorandum of understanding negotiations with Tehran broke down earlier this summer, the United States and Iran have both sought to maintain control of the critical waterway. Commerce through the strait had resumed but at a significantly lower frequency than pre-war levels. Trump has even gone so far as suggesting that the strait be made an American territory in the future.
“I have just been informed by the United States Navy that all mines have been removed and/or detonated from within the International Waters of the Strait of Hormuz,” the president wrote on Truth Social Tuesday morning. “Iran has been notified that any ship or boat placing new mines will be immediately and systematically destroyed. Through Space Force, we are watching every square inch of the Strait, as we are, also, with Pickaxe Mountain and the already destroyed three other Nuclear sites. There is a Zero Tolerance policy on mine placement in full force and effect.”
In recent weeks, Trump has moved the U.S. away from its military campaign in lieu of seeking to increase economic pressure on Iran in hopes of making Tehran capitulate.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced an expansion of economic sanctions placed on Iran on Monday and promised that secondary sanctions would be placed on countries that allow their banks and firms to maintain business relationships with Tehran.
“This is economic asphyxiation of this regime,” Bessent said at the time.
Critics took issue with the announcement, previously billed as an “economic D-Day,” arguing that the Trump administration should have brought forward the secondary sanctions immediately, rather than privately seeking to have countries decouple themselves from Tehran.
TRUMP HOLDS OFF ON TOUGHEST IRAN SANCTIONS DESPITE ‘ECONOMIC D-DAY’ BILLING, EXPERTS SAY
“We believe that a warning shot and a level set of expectations is appropriate,” Bessent countered when pressed on the timeline by reporters. “If people do not want to meet our expectations, then they should expect that they will leave the dollar system.”