Donald Trump said Tuesday that the US Navy had removed or detonated all mines in the Strait of Hormuz, warning Iran that any ship or boat placing new mines would be "immediately and systematically destroyed." He made the announcement on Truth Social as Washington pressed ahead with a naval blockade of Iranian ports and an economic pressure campaign aimed at ending the monthslong war with the Islamic Republic.
What did the post say? "I have just been informed by the United States Navy that all mines have been removed and/or detonated from within the International Waters of the Strait of Hormuz," Trump said in the post. He said his administration was watching "every square inch" of the strait through the United States Space Force, and that "a Zero Tolerance policy on mine placement" was "in full force and effect."
Why does the strait matter? Some 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed through it before the war, which began on 28 February with US and Israeli air strikes on Iran, the BBC reported. Iran has largely closed the waterway since then, causing wild swings in oil prices, and has fired on vessels it says tried to cross without its permission. South Korea and other countries that rely on the route for energy imports have been closely watching efforts to restore free passage.
What are Iran and Oman planning? Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said Tuesday he hoped the two countries would soon announce a temporary shipping corridor in the strait after meeting his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Tehran, the BBC reported. Araghchi said the discussions covered the strait's future management, a framework for the new corridor and a joint mine-clearing operation. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabad, speaking to state television, said the entry route would run through Iranian waters and the exit through Omani waters, and that no military vessels would be allowed through. "If Iran's requests are not granted, the Strait will be closed," he said.
Where do US-Iran talks stand? A 60-day deadline for a deal on the strait, set in a memorandum of understanding Iran and the US signed in June, has expired and talks have collapsed, leading to new US sanctions this week, the BBC reported. Iranian Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh said Tehran was "fully prepared" for the wider sanctions. China, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, said it firmly opposed what it called the US's "illegal unilateral sanctions."
Figures referenced: Donald Trump. — JudgeMarket.
