The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced this Saturday that the US Navy is preparing to launch a mine-clearing operation in the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement comes without confirmation from Iranian authorities and at the very beginning of delicate peace talks in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, where high-level delegations from Washington and Tehran have met.
"We are now beginning the process to clear (of mines) the Strait of Hormuz as a favor to countries around the world, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others," the President of the United States announced on his Truth Social platform after asserting for the umpteenth time that Iran has lost the war.
"Its Navy has disappeared, its Air Force has disappeared, its anti-aircraft system is non-existent, the radar is dead, its missile and drone factories have been practically annihilated along with the missiles and drones themselves and, most importantly, its lifelong 'leaders' are no longer with us, praise be to Allah!" he stated.
In relation to this alleged demining, Trump has pointed out that the "only threat" that persists for Iran is that "a ship could 'run aground' on one of its underwater mines" scattered throughout the strait. For this reason, he justifies the start of the mission, which, if finally validated and accepted by Tehran, would represent a significant advance within the ongoing dialogue between both countries.
Trump's message has coincided in time with a report from the American outlet Axios which, citing official US sources under condition of anonymity, stated that several US Navy warships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, "in an action not coordinated with Iran."