23.04.2026 21:33
As the ceasefire continues in the Iran-US war, tension persists in the Strait of Hormuz. US President Trump said, 'I have ordered the US Navy to strike any vessel laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. There will be no hesitation. Our mine-clearing ships are currently clearing the strait.'
The tension between Iran and the US over Hormuz continues, despite the declaration of an indefinite ceasefire. US President Donald Trump gave a message about Hormuz on Truth.
Trump said, "I have given orders to the United States Navy to strike and destroy any vessels, no matter how small, that lay mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz. There will be no hesitation. Also, our mine-sweeping ships are currently clearing the strait. I am ordering a threefold increase in this activity!"
It was reported that the German Navy is also preparing for a possible Hormuz mine-clearing operation.
US MEDIA: MINE CLEARING COULD TAKE 6 MONTHS
US media claimed that completely clearing the mines in the Strait of Hormuz could take 6 months, and that this process is unlikely to be completed before the war, which began with US and Israeli attacks on Iran, ends.
US SEIZES ANOTHER SHIP
Meanwhile; the US Department of Defense announced that US forces intercepted the sanctions-hit M/T Majestic X, a ship carrying oil from Iran, as part of a blockade.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards also tightened their control over the Strait of Hormuz, seizing 2 ships. It was reported that the Liberian-flagged Epaminondas and the Panamanian-flagged MSC Francesca were pulled to Iranian shores on the grounds that they lacked the necessary permits and interfered with navigation systems.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in the US described the seizures as "piracy," while it was claimed that the ceasefire was not violated because the targeted ships were not of US or Israeli origin.
IRAN SHARES FOOTAGE OF SEIZED SHIP
While the US naval blockade against Iran continues, a notable move came from the Tehran administration. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) released footage of operations where 2 ships were seized in the Strait of Hormuz.
In the footage, IRGC forces were seen approaching the ships on boats and armed IRGC soldiers taking control of the vessels.
In a previous statement from the IRGC, it was stated that 2 ships were seized in the Strait of Hormuz, saying, "Two different ships, 'MSC-Francesca' (linked to the Zionist regime) and 'Epaminondas,' were stopped by the IRGC Navy and directed to Iranian shores for jeopardizing navigation safety by sailing without the necessary permits and manipulating maritime security systems."
HORMUZ HAS BEEN CLOSED SINCE THE START OF THE WAR
During the war that began with US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency, Iranian officials stated that the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened if the US continues its current policies and threats.
Emphasizing that Iran's approach is "to obtain its rights, not to negotiate," Iranian Parliament Deputy Speaker Hamid Reza Hajibabaei expressed Iran's demand for full sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, saying, "The demand of the Iranian nation is for the Strait of Hormuz to belong to Iran, and for all ships passing through this strait to pay taxes to the Iranian nation in rials."
It was also announced that the Iranian Parliament is working on a bill to charge transit fees for ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The head of the Parliament's National Security Commission, Ibrahim Azizi, reported that the bill, which envisions charging transit fees for the Strait of Hormuz, stipulates that the fees be paid in Iran's national currency, the rial.