Trump erupts over ‘INSANE!’ Iran deal collapse, commands Navy to ‘destroy’ vessels

In a fervent display of frustration, President Trump took to Truth Social on Thursday, declaring that he has instructed U.S. naval forces to engage any Iranian vessels suspected of laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. This announcement comes despite his earlier assertions that such activities were not occurring.

“Shoot and kill any boat, small boats though they may be... that is putting mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote, emphasizing that there should be “no hesitation” in executing this order.

He further claimed that American minesweepers are actively clearing the strategic waterway “right now,” insisting that these operations would be intensified to “triple” their current efforts.

Interestingly, this aggressive stance follows a previous claim by Trump that most of Iran’s mining capabilities had been neutralized, while simultaneously denying any ongoing mine-laying activities by Iran—a nation through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil supply transits annually.

The effectiveness of U.S. forces in clearing any mines remains uncertain, as they are currently relying on untested drone technology linked to a pair of Littoral Combat Ships, which were not originally designed for minesweeping tasks.

Historically, the U.S. maintained a fleet of four specialized Avenger-class minesweepers stationed in the Persian Gulf specifically for this purpose. However, these vessels were decommissioned last fall by the Trump administration, just prior to the escalation of tensions.

Despite rising hostilities between the U.S. and Iran, plans to return these ships to the U.S. for disposal proceeded, with the semi-submersible cargo ship M/V Seaway Hawk transporting them from Bahrain to Philadelphia earlier this year.

Images released by the Pentagon on January 21 depicted the Seaway Hawk carrying the decommissioned minesweepers, escorted by the troubled Littoral Combat Ship U.S.S. Canberra—one of the vessels now being repurposed as a substitute for the minesweepers.

A recent report indicated that members of the House Armed Services Committee were informed during a classified briefing that clearing at least 20 mines believed to have been laid could take up to six months. The Pentagon’s chief spokesperson vehemently refuted this claim, labeling it as “cherry picking leaked information” from a closed session.

Trump’s directive to target Iranian mine-laying vessels coincides with a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, which has now entered its third week following an extension announced by Trump after failed negotiations in Islamabad. This breakdown was attributed to internal strife within Iran’s government, exacerbated by recent U.S. and Israeli airstrikes that decimated much of Iran’s leadership.