US President Donald Trump ordered all Iranian minelayers operating in the Strait of Hormuz to be attacked.
On the 23rd (local time), President Trump wrote on the social networking service (SNS) Truth Social, “I have ordered the U.S. Navy to shoot and kill any vessel that lays mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz, no matter how small it may be. There is no hesitation.” “Our minesweepers are currently clearing the channel, and I hereby order that those activities continue but be expanded threefold,” he added.
In an additional post that day, President Trump claimed, “Iran is having a very difficult time figuring out who their leader is. They don’t even know,” and added, “The internal conflict between the hardliners, who were sharply defeated on the battlefield, and the moderates, who are not actually very moderate, but are gaining respect, is at an insane level.”
He added, “We have complete control over the Strait of Hormuz. No ship can enter or leave without US Navy approval. This area will be tightly blockaded until Iran reaches an agreement.”
Currently, the United States and Iran are in a ceasefire, but the United States is increasing pressure on Iran through a maritime blockade operation, and Iran has also captured two ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump claims that the Iranian Navy was destroyed in this war, but Iran is known to have carried out a capture operation using small speed boats.
Accordingly, President Trump appears to have ordered an attack on Iranian small boats under the pretext of preventing mine laying. The two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran was scheduled to expire on the 21st, but President Trump has announced that he will extend the ceasefire until Iran comes up with a unified plan.
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