Trump's New Order Heats Up the Strait of Hormuz: Shoot and Kill!
US President Donald Trump has issued a tough order regarding military activities at sea. He stated that he has instructed the US Navy to “shoot and kill any ship” caught planting mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
“There must be no doubt,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Thursday (23/4/2026) local time.
He also added that he has ordered US minesweepers to continue clearing the route “at a rate increased threefold!”
The statement marks a sharp escalation in tensions between the US and Iran over that crucial oil shipping lane, which has been practically blockaded since the war broke out at the end of February.
Trump has aggressively pressured Tehran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz as part of a fragile ceasefire. That agreement was actually scheduled to end this weekend before Trump unilaterally extended it.
As part of the pressure, Washington has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports in the area to force Tehran to loosen its control over the strait and return to the negotiating table.
The US Central Command stated that it has so far directed 31 ships to turn around or return to port as part of the blockade implementation.
Trump also emphasised that control over the strait is now in US hands, not Iran’s.
“We have full control over the Strait of Hormuz,” he wrote in another post on Truth Social on Thursday morning.
“No ship can enter or exit without the approval of the United States Navy. That route is ‘sealed tight’ until Iran is able to make a DEAL!!!”
Less than 15 minutes later, Trump heated up the situation further by reposting an opinion article from the Washington Post titled, “Trump doesn’t need a deal to get what he wants from Iran.”
“Very true!!!” Trump wrote.
Amid the tensions, tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz remains far below pre-war levels. Under normal conditions, about 20% of the world’s oil supply passes through this route.
More than 100 ships, including dozens of tankers, usually cross the strait each day in peacetime. However, since Iran de facto closed the route, the number has dropped to single digits on most days.
Tracking data from LSEG shows that on Wednesday, only eight ships passed through, including three oil tankers.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf emphasised that reopening the strait will not happen anytime soon.
“Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is impossible” as long as the US blockade continues, he said.