President Donald Trump on Thursday vowed the United States would destroy any vessel laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as he increases pressure on Iran to reopen the crucial sea passage.
– “I have ordered the United States Navy to shoot and kill any boat, small boats though they may be… that is putting mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump posted.
– “There is to be no hesitation. Additionally, our mine ‘sweepers’ are clearing the Strait right now.”
– The strait — through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes in peacetime — has been a major point of standoff between Iran and the US with the vital waterway remaining largely closed during a shaky ceasefire.
– In a second post, Trump asserted that the US has “total control” over the strait.
– “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!!!”
– Trump also noted that Iran was having a “hard time” figuring out who is leading the country signaling to internal divisions.
– “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!”