Trump threatens: ‘Destroy every ship with mines in Hormuz!’

The mine-laying statements came a week after Trump said Tehran had “removed or is removing all sea mines.”

After the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, Iran responded by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to attack all vessels that do not receive its permission to pass through the waterway.

Tehran has also suggested that it planted mines, although it has never confirmed such an operation.

The blockade caused major disruptions in global trade, causing a sharp rise in energy prices and prompting measures to prevent fuel shortages.

The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz has been a major stumbling block in negotiations to end the war after a two-week ceasefire took effect on April 8.

A few days later, the US imposed a blockade affecting ships arriving from or bound for Iranian ports, as Washington tries to cut off Tehran’s key sources of income.

Trump unilaterally extended the truce on Tuesday, but the blockade remains in place.