Donald Trump has issued a directive for the US military to take lethal action against any Iranian boats planting mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The President emphasized the need for a swift response to such threats and highlighted increased efforts to clear mines in the strategic waterway. Trump conveyed his orders through a post on Truth Social, declaring a threefold escalation in the ongoing mine-clearing operations.
On the same day, the US military reported the interception of a tanker carrying Iranian oil in the Indian Ocean. The seized vessel, named Majestic X and previously known as Phoenix, had been sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2024 for illicitly transporting Iranian crude oil in violation of US sanctions.
This development followed Iran’s assault on three cargo ships navigating the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran claimed to have captured two of the vessels. The Iranian actions were stated to be in response to the US seizure of an Iranian ship earlier in the week, which Iran condemned as a breach of the ceasefire and an act of piracy. Iran also criticized the US naval blockade of its ports since April 13.
Just after Trump’s announcement of an extension to the ceasefire with Iran, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, asserted that reopening the Strait of Hormuz was unattainable due to the ongoing naval blockade, which he labeled as a blatant violation of the ceasefire terms.
During the conflict that commenced on February 28, airstrikes by the US and Israel have resulted in over 3,300 fatalities in Iran and more than 2,200 deaths in Lebanon, including five journalists. Among the casualties was Amal Khalil, a journalist from the Lebanese publication Al-Akhbar, who lost her life in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the deliberate targeting of journalists, labeling it as war crimes and accusing Israel of a repeated pattern of attacking journalists in southern Lebanon.
Missile attacks from Iran and Lebanon have claimed the lives of 23 individuals in Israel and caused additional casualties in Gulf Arab states. The conflict has also resulted in the deaths of 15 Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 US service members across the region.
