US President Donald Trump has said Iran must immediately remove any mines that may have been placed in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, describing the move as a “giant step in the right direction”.
In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump warned Tehran that any mines deployed in the key shipping route must be taken out without delay.
The US leader said that if Iran had placed mines in the strait, even though Washington had no confirmed reports, they should be removed immediately.
Trump also cautioned that failure to do so could lead to severe military consequences.
“If for any reason mines were placed and they are not removed forthwith, the military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before,” he wrote. “If, on the other hand, they remove what may have been placed, it will be a giant step in the right direction.”
The president added that the United States was using technology similar to that deployed against drug traffickers to monitor activity in the waterway and stop any attempts to lay mines.
Trump further claimed that the US military had already struck and “completely destroyed” 10 inactive mine-laying vessels in the area as part of efforts to secure the vital maritime corridor.
Possibility of Trump Iran talks
Donald Trump, the President of the United States (US), has said that it is possible that he could talk with Iran, but it would depend on the conditions, according to international media reports on Tuesday
In an interview with Fox News on Monday evening, Trump was asked about the possibility of talks with Tehran. He said he had heard that Iran wanted to hold talks.
Trump also repeated his criticism of Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. He told Fox, “I don’t believe he can live in peace.”
Trump also referred to comments he made earlier during a press conference. He said the results of the US military operation in Iran were “way beyond expectations.”
He also said he was surprised that Iran was attacking Gulf countries with missiles and drones, according to the network.
Is Iran war ending? more questions than answers
Previously, Donald Trump and his administration gave mixed and sometimes conflicting statements about the joint military campaign by the United States and Israel against Iran, according to the BBC.
On Monday, which marked the 10th day of the operation, the situation again showed confusion about the timeline and goals of the war.
During the morning, US stock indexes fell and oil prices increased sharply. After this, Trump started calling several reporters.
His aim appeared to be calming market concerns. However, his comments did not clearly explain the situation.
When asked by a reporter from the New York Post about rising oil prices, Trump said, “I have a plan for everything, OK?” He added, “I have a plan for everything. You’ll be very happy.”
In another conversation with CBS News, Trump said the war “is very complete, pretty much”.
He also said, “We’re very far ahead of schedule.” When he was asked if the military operation might end soon, Trump replied, “I don’t know, it depends. Wrapping up is all in my mind, nobody else’s.”
After these calls, the economic situation improved. Stock markets rose again. The price of oil also dropped.
Earlier in the day, the price of a barrel had reached 120 dollars, but later it fell to below 90 dollars.
A few days earlier, Trump had said the war would continue until Iran’s “unconditional surrender”.
However, after his comments on Monday, it appeared that the military operation could end soon, the BBC reported.
The conflict has created serious tension in the Middle East. It has also caused a near complete shutdown of shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
