Story perspectives

Trump Orders Navy to Destroy Mine-Laying Vessels in Hormuz

4/26/2026

Summary

Story summary

President Donald Trump ordered U.S. Navy to shoot and kill vessels laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz and triple minesweeping.
The Navy began sweeping after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps deployed mines, with eight vessels—three oil tankers—transiting the strait on Wednesday under traffic allowed by the U.S. blockade.
Pentagon says fully clearing the mines could take up to six months, though the military is confident it can remove threats.

History

Historical Context

In April 1988, the guided-missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts hit an Iranian mine while escorting re-flagged Kuwaiti tankers under Operation Earnest Will. The strike prompted the U.S. retaliation Operation Praying Mantis on 18 April, which destroyed two Iranian oil platforms and two frigates. That precedent shapes today’s policy on Iranian mining in the Strait of Hormuz.

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Story summary

President Donald Trump ordered U.S. Navy to shoot and kill vessels laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz and triple minesweeping.
The Navy began sweeping after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps deployed mines, with eight vessels—three oil tankers—transiting the strait on Wednesday under traffic allowed by the U.S. blockade.
Pentagon says fully clearing the mines could take up to six months, though the military is confident it can remove threats.

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