- Trump also said that the U.S. was deploying the same technology and missile capabilities that it had to tackle drug traffickers to permanently eliminate any boat or ship attempting to mine the Hormuz Strait.
- Earlier on Tuesday, CNN reported that Iran had started laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, with a few dozen being laid in recent days.
- White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, clarified on Tuesday that the U.S. Navy has not escorted a tanker or a vessel from the Strait of Hormuz yet.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned Iran of consequences at a level “never seen before” if the country has placed any mines in the Strait of Hormuz, an important shipping route for energy supply chain across the world.
In a post on Truth Social, the president said that while the U.S. does not have any reports of Iran placing such mines, “we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!”
“If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before,” Trump said.
U.S. Is Prepared
Trump said that if Iran had placed any mines in the Strait, then removing them would be “a giant step in the right direction!”
In an update to the post, Trump said that the U.S. was deploying the same technology and missile capabilities that it had to tackle drug traffickers “to permanently eliminate any boat or ship attempting to mine the Hormuz Strait.”
“They will be dealt with quickly and violently,” he said.
Shortly after, in a separate post, Trump said that within the last few hours, the U.S. had “hit, and completely destroyed, 10 inactive mine laying boats and/or ships, with more to follow!”
Mining Allegations
Earlier on Tuesday, CNN reported, citing two people familiar with the matter, that Iran had started laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, with a few dozen being laid in recent days.
The report also said that Iran had the capability to lay hundreds of mines in the Strait. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had previously reportedly said that any ship passing through the Strait would be attacked.
Meanwhile, the blocked searoute has sent energy supply and subsequently, oil prices, into a frenzy over the week. Crude oil prices soared on Monday amid concerns over the Middle East war’s escalation, but declined after Trump indicated that it was nearing its end.
White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, clarified on Tuesday that the U.S. Navy has not escorted a tanker or a vessel from the Strait of Hormuz yet, adding that it was still “an option” that Trump would utilize if necessary.
Market Movement
U.S. equities edged higher in Tuesday’s after-market trade. At the time of writing, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), which tracks the S&P 500 index, was up by 0.12%, the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (QQQ) climbed up 0.12%, while the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA) gained 0.08%.
Meanwhile, the United States Oil Fund (USO), which tracks WTI crude oil, was down 0.66% at the time of writing.
Retail sentiment around the S&P 500 ETF on Stocktwits was in the ‘bearish’ territory, while that of USO was in the ‘extremely bullish’ territory.
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