On August 25th, local time, U.S. President Donald Trump posted an article on his Truth Social website. He stated that the U.S. Navy had just “removed or detonated all mines in the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz,” and warned that any Iranian vessels that lay new mines would be “immediately and systematically destroyed.” The Space Force is also “closely monitoring the Strait,” and the U.S. is implementing a “zero tolerance policy” towards any mining activities.
According to a report by the news website AXIOS, two U.S. sources familiar with the matter confirmed to media Trump’s statement, stating that the U.S. Navy has cleared the central channel between Oman and Iran.
Later that day, Iran and Oman also issued a joint statement announcing a proposed framework to restore safe passage through the strait. The statement indicated that both countries would work together to establish a temporary safe route through the strait and remove mines in the waters of the strait. Although Trump claimed that "all mines have been removed," the statement continued to discuss these efforts.
This is not the first time Trump has announced that ‘all mines have been cleared’. Just last Tuesday (August 18th), Trump also announced on his ‘real social’ account that ‘all mines in the Strait of Hormuz have been cleared or detonated’.
However, this statement was soon questioned by many parties. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) was among the first to express skepticism. In an interview with a television station on August 21, IMO Secretary-General Arisio Dominguez said that the Strait of Hormuz had not been opened yet, and there was no evidence to show that mines in the strait had been removed. Before it could be confirmed that the mines had been cleared and that ships would not be attacked, he advised against anyone risking passage through the strait.
