Trump says Strait of Hormuz cleared of mines, warns Iran against fresh planting

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that all mines had been detonated or removed from international waters in the Strait of Hormuz, and warned Iran against any new attempt to plant them.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Tehran had been told that "any ship or boat placing new mines will be destroyed." He added that the U.S. Space Force was monitoring "every square inch" of the strait, a narrow passage that plays an outsized role in global energy flows.

"There is a Zero Tolerance policy on mine placement in full force and effect," Trump said.

The statement comes as the United States and Iran have refrained from direct military strikes on each other's forces for weeks, but attacks on vessels in the strait have continued amid a broader standoff over the strategically vital waterway. The passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman is a critical chokepoint for seaborne crude, and the renewed threat of mines has added to the dangers facing commercial shipping.

Preliminary data from shiptracker Vortexa showed oil shipments through the strait stood at about 5 million barrels per day on Monday, down from more than 20 million barrels per day before the war — roughly one of every five barrels consumed worldwide. The reduction underscores how the conflict has disrupted tanker traffic and prompted shippers to reroute or seek alternative supply lines, even as direct military exchanges have paused.

Mines have been used in previous conflicts in the region and are particularly hazardous for oil tankers, since a single strike can force multi-million-dollar cargoes to be halted and raise insurance premiums across the Gulf. Trump's warning appeared intended to deter Tehran from using asymmetric tactics to pressure shipping while the two governments continue to test each other's red lines.

(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Ismail Shakil; editing by Michelle Nichols and Katharine Jackson)