Red-hot tension in the Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered his military to “shoot and kill” small Iranian vessels deploying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, he said. This comes a day after Iran once again showed its ability to thwart traffic through the canal.
“I have ordered the US Navy to shoot and kill any vessel, no matter how small… that is laying mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump posted, adding that US minesweepers “are clearing the strait right now.” “I hereby order that this activity continue, but threefold!” he added.
Seizure and retaliation
The publication came shortly after the US military seized another oil tanker linked to Iranian oil smuggling. Images from the Department of Defense show US forces on the deck of the Guinea-flagged oil tanker Majestic X, seized in the Indian Ocean.
This occurred a day after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard attacked three cargo ships in the strait, capturing two. The head of Iran’s judiciary, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, called the vessels “infringers” and said: “The show of force… is a source of pride.” He claimed that the Americans “do not have the courage” to approach the strait.
Stalled negotiations
Trump also announced an extension of the ceasefire in Lebanon for three weeks. Meanwhile, negotiations between the US and Iran in Pakistan fell through. Iran demands end to port blockade; Washington insists on reopening the strait to international traffic.
Pope Leo XIV called on the United States and Iran to return to the negotiating table and end the war.
Maritime tracking data places the Majestic X between Sri Lanka and Indonesia, heading to Zhoushan, China. In times of peace, 20% of the world’s crude oil and natural gas passes through this canal.




