Donald Trump has given orders for the US military to take immediate action against any Iranian boats planting mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The US president emphasized that the US Navy should respond without hesitation to such activities and announced an escalation in the military’s efforts to clear mines in the strategic waterway, tripling the current level of activity.
This directive follows the US military’s recent seizure of a tanker linked to the smuggling of Iranian oil in the Indian Ocean. The seized vessel, named the Majestic X, was taken into custody a day after Iran attacked and captured two cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Tracking data indicated that the Majestic X was located in the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and Indonesia at the time of the seizure.
The Iranian government stated that it had engaged in retaliatory actions by firing on three outbound ships and seizing two of them in response to what they described as the American naval blockade of Iranian ports. This incident occurred shortly after the US intercepted an Iranian ship that ignored warnings from a blockade-enforcing vessel.
These developments transpired following Trump’s announcement of an extension to the ongoing ceasefire with Iran.