The United States has intensified its military posture in the Strait of Hormuz, with President Donald Trump ordering the Navy to “shoot and kill” any Iranian boats laying mines, raising concerns over the stability of a recently extended ceasefire.
The directive comes as both Washington and Tehran expand competing maritime restrictions in and around the critical waterway.
Oil prices have risen amid the standoff, adding domestic pressure in the United States as fuel costs climb above $4 per gallon.
Trump said U.S. forces would increase mine-clearing operations while maintaining strict control over the strait, describing it as effectively secured.
The Pentagon confirmed ongoing interdictions, including the boarding of a tanker carrying Iranian oil in the Indian Ocean and the seizure or diversion of multiple vessels earlier in the week.
The U.S. has also maintained a naval blockade on Iranian-linked shipping, even after extending a ceasefire that had been set to expire.
Iran, in response, has detained foreign commercial vessels it says violated maritime rules and has imposed tolls on ships transiting the strait, reporting its first related revenue.
The waterway, which previously handled about 20 percent of global oil and gas flows, remains partially disrupted following its earlier closure by Iran.
The dual blockades have complicated negotiations, with Iran demanding the lifting of U.S. restrictions as a condition for renewed talks.
Despite U.S. claims of internal divisions within Iran’s leadership, officials in Tehran have presented a unified stance against the blockade.
Iranian authorities have continued to support the ceasefire while reaffirming their readiness to respond to military threats.
Trump has publicly asserted that Iran’s leadership is fractured, though no evidence of significant internal splits has emerged.
The evolving confrontation in Hormuz underscores the fragile nature of the truce and the risk of renewed conflict in a region central to global energy markets.