US President Donald Trump has said that the US Navy has removed or detonated all mines in the Strait of Hormuz – the vital waterway which Iran has largely closed since the beginning of the war in the Middle East.
“Iran has been notified that any ship or boat placing new mines will be immediately and systematically destroyed,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
There is no comment from Iran.
Closure of the strait has caused wild fluctuations in the price of oil on world markets. Trump has often said the US has control of the area – but Iran has fired against vessels it says have sought to cross without its permission.
In addition to closing the strait, Iran retaliated against Israel and against US bases in the region as well as US Arab allies in the Gulf.
A ceasefire aimed at facilitating talks to end the war has collapsed and there has been intermittent exchange of fire between the US and Iran.
However, this week the US announced a raft of economic sanctions against Iran.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that any nation financially partnering with Iran would be isolated.
Iran and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in June – a 14-point document which set a 60-day deadline to reach a deal on the Strait of Hormuz, before substantial negotiations on resolving the nuclear issue – allegations that Iran is building a nuclear weapon, which Tehran has consistently denied.
However, that deadline has now expired and talks have collapsed leading to the new US sanctions that Trump believes will lead to the collapse of the Iranian regime.
Iran has been under sanctions for most of the time since the founding of the Islamic Republic in 1979 and Economy Minister Ali Madanizadeh said Tehran was “fully prepared” for the wider sanctions, which he added would lead to “another defeat” for the US.
Its economy, however, has suffered as a result of the war – and a blockade of Iranian ports that the US has been maintaining for weeks not to allow trade to continue.
On Tuesday, China – the biggest buyer of Iranian oil – said it was firmly opposed to what it called the US’s “illegal unilateral sanctions” and would take “all necessary measures” to safeguard its rights.
The US announcement comes ahead of planned talks between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next month.
Washington is likely to be wary of potential retaliation from Beijing, which processes the majority of the world’s rare earths and other critical minerals, crucial in the manufacture of many high-tech products.
Beijing has already tightened export controls on rare earths as part of previous trade negotiations with the US.
Iran, for its part, has indicated that it wants to establish full control of the Strait of Hormuz – a view that is opposed by the US and most other countries which believe that the passage constitutes international waters and transit should remain unimpeded as it was before the war.
Until recently – and on the basis of the MoU – Iran had been involved in negotiations with Oman, a US ally, to agree a mechanism for administering the strait. However, those talks have so far not produced an agreement and, last week, Trump even threatened to bomb its ally “if it gets in the way” of his administration’s own talks with Iran over the issue.
It is not clear if the Iran-Oman talks are continuing, now that the US has moved to another phase of the conflict.
