Donald Trump has ordered the US Navy to “shoot to kill” Iranian boats laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz as Iran continues to tighten its grip on the channel with the capture of commercial vessels.
The president posted on Truth Social that the military had been told to shoot “any boat, small boats though they may be … that is putting mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz”, as the military said it had boarded another tanker, Majestic X, in the Indian Ocean.
He said he had ordered US minesweepers to continue de-mining the area “at a tripled up level”, but made no mention of the other means Iran has used to disrupt shipping along the route, with speedboats, missiles and drones.
Despite US efforts to pressure Iran into releasing its hold on the strait with a blockade of ports and vessels, Iran has continued to flaunt its control of the water, sharing video of its commandos storming a huge cargo ship.
State television broadcast footage overnight of masked troops pulling up in a speedboat alongside MSC Francesca, climbing a rope ladder to a shell door in the hull and jumping through with rifles.
Iran also said it had captured another ship, the Epaminondas, on Wednesday, accusing both of trying to cross the strait without permits. Iran’s judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, said the vessels had “faced the law” and that Iranian boats and drones were keeping the US Navy from approaching.
The Pentagon pushed back on claims, reported in The Washington Post, that members of the House Armed Services Committee had been briefed that it would take around six months to clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines to allow free traffic to flow.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell dismissed the claims, attributed to unnamed US officials, telling the AFP news agency that they had been chosen selectively.
“One assessment does not mean the assessment is plausible, and a six-month closure of the Strait of Hormuz is an impossibility and completely unacceptable to the secretary [of war, Pete Hegseth],” he said.
In a separate post, Mr Trump insisted the US has “total control” over the strait and criticised the Iranian regime, which says it will not come in for talks until the US pulls its navy back.
“Iran is having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is! They just don’t know! The infighting is between the ‘Hardliners,’ who have been losing BADLY on the battlefield, and the ‘Moderates,’ who are not very moderate at all (but gaining respect!), is CRAZY!” he wrote.
“We have total control over the Strait of Hormuz. No ship can enter or leave without the approval of the United States Navy. It is ‘Sealed up Tight,’ until such time as Iran is able to make a DEAL!!!”
Hopes of a quick deal to end the war were waning, with no indication of plans to resume mediated talks in Pakistan. A senior Iranian source told the Reuters news agency on Thursday that Iran could consider attending a meeting in Pakistan, but only if the US lifts its blockade and releases seized Iranian ships.
The US appeared unmoved by the demand, announcing troops had intercepted a vessel transporting oil from Iran in the Indian Ocean. It said US forces had boarded the sanctioned and stateless vessel Majestic X during an operation overnight.
The stalemate sent oil prices climbing again, but with fighting on pause, markets have recovered in recent days.
The US was separately due to host a second round of talks between Israel and Lebanon on Thursday, with Lebanon seeking an extension of a ceasefire reached last week in a war that has run in parallel to the Iran war.
Israeli strikes killed five people, including a journalist, Amal Khalil, 43, in Lebanon on Wednesday, the deadliest day there since the US-brokered truce took effect.
Khalil and freelance photographer Zeinab Faraj were covering developments near the town of al-Tayri when an Israeli strike hit the vehicle in front of them. They ran into a nearby house, which was then also targeted by an Israeli strike, Lebanon’s health ministry, the senior Lebanese military official and press advocates said.
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