Trump Orders Navy To ‘Shoot And Kill’ Boats Planting Mines In Strait Of Hormuz—Amid Months-Long Clearing Process
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BreakingBusinessTrump Orders Navy To ‘Shoot And Kill’ Boats Planting Mines In Strait Of Hormuz—Amid Months-Long Clearing ProcessBySara Dorn,Forbes Staff. Sara Dorn is a Forbes news reporter who covers politics.Follow AuthorApr 23, 2026, 09:24am EDTApr 23, 2026, 10:22am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.ToplinePresident Donald Trump said Thursday he directed the U.S. Navy to “shoot and kill” any boats planting mines in the Strait of Hormuz and speed up the clearing of mines from the key oil passage—a process that could reportedly take six months, prolonging the economic consequences of the war.
President Donald Trump speaks during an executive order signing regarding psychedelics in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Saturday, April 18, 2026. (Photo by Allison Robbert/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)The Washington Post via Getty ImagesKey FactsPentagon officials informed Congress this week of the timeline for voiding the mines, raising the possibility that gas and oil prices could remain high until the strait is fully reopened, The Washington Post reported Wednesday, citing three unnamed officials familiar with the discussions. Trump said on Truth Social Thursday the U.S. Navy is actively clearing mines and he has ordered the operation to “continue, but at a tripled up level!”In a subsequent post on Truth, Trump claimed the U.S. has “total control over the Strait of Hormuz” and it will be “Sealed up Tight” until “Iran is able to make a DEAL!!!”Iran has placed at least 20 mines in the strait, Pentagon officials reportedly told Congress, and has lost track of where some of them are located, The New York Times reported earlier this month, citing unnamed U.S. officials who said neither Iran nor the U.S. have advanced mine-removal capabilities. The Pentagon acknowledged that the congressional briefing took place in a statement to The Washington Post, but called the six-month timeline “inaccurate.”Chief Critic“We are facing the biggest energy security threat in history,” Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency, told CNBC on Thursday. “As of today, we’ve lost 13 million barrels per day of oil . . . and there are major disruptions in vital commodities.”TangentTrump has downplayed the economic consequences of the war, telling CNBC Tuesday he was “surprised” the stock market and oil prices hadn’t performed worse. “If you would have told me that oil is at 90 [dollars] as opposed to 200, I would be frankly surprised,” Trump said. Key BackgroundDisagreement between the U.S. and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz is a primary barrier to a lasting peace agreement between the two sides. Iran has said repeatedly that recognition of its sovereignty over the strait is a non-negotiable in a permanent ceasefire and has continued to restrict free passage. The U.S. has retaliated with a naval blockade of all vessels coming to and from Iran and has seized several Iran-flagged ships, which Iran claims is a violation of the ceasefire that took effect a little more than two weeks ago. Iran, meanwhile, has begun tolling ships to pass through the strait and has fired on several vessels passing through the strait over the past week.Further ReadingU.S.
Intercepted Three Iranian Tankers Near Asia, Report Says (Forbes)Trump Says Iran Ceasefire Extended Despite Calling Off Negotiations (Forbes)US Navy Seizes Another Iranian Oil Tanker—After Iran Said It Banked First Tolls From Ships Crossing Hormuz (Forbes)Got a tip? Share confidential information with Forbes.Editorial StandardsReprints & PermissionsLOADING VIDEO PLAYER...FORBES’ FEATURED Video