President Donald Trump has ordered the United States Navy to “shoot and kill any boat” found laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as the US ratchets up tensions over the world’s most vital oil shipping route.
In a series of posts on Truth Social, the president also commanded US minesweepers to continue clearing the waterway at a “tripled up level,” asserting that the US now maintains “total control” over the region, reports CNBC.
“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 wrote. He further stated that there should be “no hesitation” in enforcing these new rules of engagement.
The directive follows an incident on 20 April 2026, when US forces in the Arabian Sea fired upon an Iranian-flagged vessel, the M/V Touska. US Central Command accused the ship of attempting to violate the naval blockade currently imposed on Iranian ports.
The blockade is part of a retaliatory effort by the Trump administration to force Tehran to the negotiating table and reopen the strait, which has been largely choked off since war broke out in late February.
While the president unilaterally extended a shaky ceasefire that was due to expire this week, Iran has remained defiant.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, said on Wednesday that “reopening the Strait of Hormuz is impossible” whilst the US blockade remains in effect.
The conflict has had a significant impact on global energy markets. The strait normally serves as the pathway for 20 per cent of the world’s oil, with more than 100 ships transiting daily during peacetime.
However, traffic has plummeted to single digits on most days since Iran imposed a de facto closure. On Wednesday, only eight ships—including three oil tankers—were recorded transiting the route.
According to US Central Command, the blockade has so far resulted in 31 ships being directed to turn around or return to port.
The president’s latest orders suggest a further hardening of the US position, as he remains insistent that Washington, rather than Tehran, is now “calling the shots” in the waterway.
