Trump Orders Navy to Shoot and Kill in Strait of Hormuz Amid Iranian Tensions

Trump orders Navy to shoot and kill in Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump has given the U.S. fleet a stark directive: any Iranian craft laying mines in the Hormuz corridor must be engaged without hesitation. The White House claims total command of the waterway, even as Tehran seized the Panama‑flagged MSC Francesca and Liberia‑flagged Epaminondas. Iranian state TV aired footage of IRGC operatives boarding the vessels. The U.S. Central Command reports ↓ 31 vessels have been ordered to turn back since the blockade began on April 13. Mine‑sweeping operations are expected to last ↑ 6 months, according to naval officials.

“There is to be no hesitation,” Trump told reporters, insisting “the United States Navy controls every entry and exit.”

The move follows a brief extension of the fragile U.S.–Iran cease‑fire and comes as Vice President J.D. Vance prepares for a second round of talks in Islamabad, which Tehran has yet to confirm. Reuters and AP News note that the diplomatic deadlock could amplify maritime confrontations.