Live updates: Trump threatens to shoot boats laying mines as tension escalates in Strait of Hormuz

Trump threatens to fire on mine-laying boats in Strait of Hormuz clash

Muhammad Asghar | GlobalBeat

President Trump said US forces would shoot at any vessel caught sowing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, raising the stakes after a third tanker limped to port with hull damage.

The warning came minutes before Tehran announced it had seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil carrier early Tuesday, its fourth commercial ship grab in 10 days.

One fifth of the world’s seaborne crude passes through the 21-mile wide channel, where insurance premiums have already tripled since the first explosions appeared on hull cameras two weeks ago.

Trump, speaking to reporters on the White House south lawn, said the rules of engagement had changed. “If we see minelayers, we sink them, no radio call, no warning shot,” he said. The Navy later confirmed that the instruction had been relayed to the Bahrain-based 5th Fleet.

Pentagon officials told GlobalBeat that two Iranian fast attack craft were tracked dropping cylindrical objects on Monday night, but left the area before the destroyer USS Bainbridge arrived. Satellite images released by the Pentagon show what analysts say are 11 contact mines floating 4 miles south of the traffic separation scheme.

Oil markets lurched on the statement. Brent crude jumped $3.42 to $94.78 a barrel, its highest since October, while Dubai’s main stock index fell 2.8 percent on fears of supply disruption.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations dismissed Trump’s threat as “pirate talk” and said Tehran would defend its “maritime interests” in the waterway it calls the Persian Gulf. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that the US had “crossed a red line” by authorizing force against Iranian vessels.

The UK joined Washington’s harder line. Defence Secretary John Healey told Parliament that British warships had been cleared to “disable” mine-laying craft after three tankers linked to British owners were damaged. Royal Navy sources said frigate HMS Richmond would escort UK-flagged traffic through the strait starting Wednesday.

Insurance giant Lloyd’s of London declared the strait a “listed area,” pushing daily war-risk premiums to 1.25 percent of hull value, up from 0.35 percent last month. A broker estimated that insuring a $100 million suzerain tanker now costs $1.25 million for a single seven-day transit.

Shipping data show at least 14 very-large crude carriers have idled outside the strait since Sunday, reluctant to enter until naval escorts arrive. Kuwait Petroleum asked customers to prepare for “possible voyage delays” on term cargoes loading in June.

Background

Mine warfare has shaped Gulf shipping for four decades. During the 1980s “Tanker War” phase of the Iran-Iraq conflict, both sides deployed sea mines, prompting US-flagged reflagging of Kuwaiti tankers and Operation Earnest Will, the largest naval convoy mission since World War Two. In 1988, the frigate USS Samuel B Roberts nearly sank after striking an Iranian mine, leading to Washington’s retaliatory Operation Praying Mantis that destroyed two Iranian oil platforms.

Tensions resurfaced in 2019 when limpet mines damaged Japanese and Norwegian tankers off Fujairah. The US blamed Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, releasing video it said showed Guards removing an unexploded mine. Tehran denied involvement. No shipping company has successfully claimed compensation, and the investigations remain open at the UN.

What’s Next

The UN Security Council will meet behind closed doors Friday at Kuwait’s request. Diplomats expect the US to push for a resolution authorizing naval enforcement of “freedom of navigation,” a move Russia has already signaled it will veto. In the Gulf, the Pentagon says a France-led maritime task force could be operational within 2 weeks if Paris secures Bahraini port access.

The immediate market focus is on whether Iran will carry out its threat to match Trump’s order with its own “shoot on sight” policy against foreign warships. Energy analysts warn that even a partial closure of the strait could send Brent above $110 within days.