U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that American forces have initiated the process of clearing the Strait of Hormuz, describing the operation as a service to global energy markets and a direct response to Iran’s diminished naval capabilities following weeks of conflict.
In the post on his Truth Social, Trump wrote: “We’re now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a favor to Countries all over the World, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others. Incredibly, they don’t have the Courage or Will to do this work themselves.” He claimed Iran’s navy, air force, anti-aircraft systems, radar, missile and drone factories, and leadership have been largely destroyed, leaving only sea mines as a lingering threat. Trump added that all 28 of Iran’s mine-laying boats are now “lying at the bottom of the sea.”
Trump’s comments came amid reports that demining the Strait of Hormuz will be difficult as Iran has lost track of the mines it planted along the vital waterway. While the Strait was supposed to have opened after the announcement of a 14-day ceasefire, movement of ships have not restarted.
The ceasefire was contingent on Iran allowing safe passage through the Strait of Hormuzm, the narrow chokepoint through which about one-fifth of global oil and LNG typically flows. Iran had effectively blockaded the waterway since late February, when U.S. and Israeli strikes targeted Iranian military infrastructure, including naval vessels and coastal defences. Tehran had mined sections of the strait and attacked commercial shipping, stranding thousands of vessels and disrupting global energy supplies.
Despite the ceasefire agreement, the strait remains heavily restricted. Shipping trackers show altered routes, delayed passages, and approximately 3,200 ships with 2,000 seafarers still stuck.
Amid this situation, Donald Trump boasted that the world has started to buy oil from the USA as the oil from the Persian Gulf remains stuck. He posted on Truth Social that the massive numbers of completely empty oil tankers are heading to the United States. He wrote, “Massive numbers of completely empty oil tankers, some of the largest anywhere in the World, are heading, right now, to the United States to load up with the best and “sweetest” oil (and gas!) anywhere in the World. We have more oil than the next two largest oil economies combined – and higher quality.”
Notably, American and Iranian delegations have already started peace talks in Pakistan. As part of the ceasefire agreement, Iran demanded collection of toll from ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. But the USA and other countries have rejected the demand.
