The President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated this Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz is currently free of mines and issued a serious warning to Iran, noting that he will "destroy" any ship that attempts to re-seed this strategic enclave for international maritime traffic with explosives.
"I have just been informed by the United States Navy that all mines have been removed and/or detonated from the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz," the American president affirmed in a message on social media in which he took the opportunity to issue a threat against the Islamic Republic if it places this type of weaponry in those waters again.
As he explained, Washington has already conveyed to Tehran that "any ship or vessel that places new mines will be destroyed immediately and systematically." With this warning, the White House aims to deter Iranian authorities from any new action that jeopardizes navigation safety in the area.
Trump has assured that the United States maintains close surveillance over the area thanks to the Space Force, which, according to his words, controls "every square inch of the strait." "There is a zero-tolerance policy regarding the placement of mines, fully in effect and in force," he emphasized, stressing that no attempt to reintroduce these devices into international waters will be allowed.
In parallel, the American president has again referred to Mount Kolang —also known as Pickaxe— where, according to Washington's version, Iran would have housed nuclear facilities, something that Iranian authorities have repeatedly denied. Trump has insisted that U.S. surveillance also extends to Mount Pickaxe and "three other nuclear sites that have already been destroyed," thus reinforcing his pressure message on the Iranian nuclear program.