Trump Directs US Navy to ‘Shoot and Kill’ Mine-Laying Boats in Hormuz Strait

The president said he would order U.S. minesweeping ships to continue to clear any mines that may have been set in the strait.

Tankers and bulk carriers anchored in the Strait of Hormuz on April 18, 2026. AP Photo

President Donald Trump on April 23 said he authorized the U.S. military to “shoot and kill” Iranian boats placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to ease trafficking through the strategic waterway.

The U.S. Navy was directed “to shoot and kill any boat,” including Iran’s fleet of “small boats,” that are laying mines in the strait, Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.