President Trump has ordered the US Navy to shoot and kill any Iranian forces caught laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a dramatic escalation of the rules of engagement inside the blockade.
The order follows the US interception of four Iranian oil tankers in Asian waters this week and a Chinese-origin vessel carrying what Trump called “top secret” materials to Iran.
The Pentagon has privately warned lawmakers it will take up to six months to clear Iranian mines once hostilities end.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society says the M/V Touska, seized on Sunday, was carrying dialysis supplies for kidney patients.
The war is now functionally a shadow naval conflict, with lethal force authorised short of open fighting.
EU Finalises 90 Billion Euro Ukraine Loan In Cyprus
European Union leaders are finalising the ninety billion euro loan to Ukraine at the Cyprus summit today, alongside the formal adoption of the twentieth sanctions
24 April 2026
