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President Donald Trump in a morning social media post ordered the U.S. military to “shoot and kill” Iranian small boats choking the Strait of Hormuz after seizing another tanker associated with the smuggling of Iranian oil.
Without providing any evidence, Trump said the U.S. had “total control” over the strait, and that it was “sealed up tight” until Iran made a deal.
“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. I am hereby ordering that activity to continue, but at a tripled up level!”
Trump’s comments come a day after Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard attacked three cargo ships in the strait, capturing two of them.
Earlier on Thursday, the U.S. military said it seized a tanker associated with the smuggling of Iranian oil, ratcheting up a standoff with Iran.
Iran seized two container ships after firing on three vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. Iranian officials also slammed now-stalled peace talks with the U.S. as ‘hypocritical’ and ’empty.’
The Defence Department released video footage of U.S. forces on the deck of the oil tanker Majestic X, which was seized in the Indian Ocean.
“We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate,” a Pentagon statement said.
Ship-tracking data showed the Majestic X in the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and Indonesia, roughly the same location as the oil tanker Tifani, earlier seized by American forces. It had been bound for Zhoushan, China.
There was no immediate response from Iran on the news of the seizure.
Ceasefire extended
Iran’s attack on and seizure of the cargo ships intensified its assault on shipping in the waterway through which 20 per cent of the world’s traded oil passes in peacetime.
The Majestic X is a Guyana-flagged oil tanker. It had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2024 for smuggling Iranian crude oil in contravention of U.S. sanctions.
On Tuesday, Trump extended a ceasefire while maintaining an American blockade of Iranian ports.
The standoff between the U.S. and Iran has effectively choked off nearly all exports through the strait, with no end in sight.
The conflict has already sent gas prices skyrocketing far beyond the region and raised the cost of food and a wide array of other products. The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, nosed over $100 US per barrel, marking a 35 per cent increase from prewar levels.
The European Union energy commissioner, Dan Jørgensen, warned Wednesday of lasting impact for consumers and businesses, likening it to other major energy crises over the last half-century. He said the disruption is costing Europe around $600 million US each day.