Donald Trump asserted on Saturday, April 11th, that the United States had started “the process of clearing the Strait of Hormuz”.
This marks the first passage of American ships after six weeks of war. Amid peace talks in Pakistan for a ceasefire in Iran, Donald Trump stated on Saturday, April 11th, that the United States had begun “the process of blocking the Strait of Hormuz”. According to American officials quoted in the New York Times, Tehran is not able to fully open the strait because they are unable to locate all the mines that have been laid.
“We are now starting the process to clear the Strait of Hormuz to assist countries worldwide, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others. Incredibly, they do not have the courage or the will to do this work themselves,” said the U.S. president in a message on his Truth Social network. Without providing details, the American president also claimed that “empty tankers from many countries are all heading towards the United States of America to LOAD up on oil”.
Several American media outlets reported that U.S. Navy ships had crossed this strategic passage controlled by Iran this Saturday. The U.S. military explained that they had crossed the strait in a mine-clearing operation.
Mines Not All Located
Indeed, the crossing is currently not without danger. President Donald Trump himself mentioned on his Truth Social network the “threat” that a ship could “hit” a naval mine, while claiming that “all 28 of their [Iran’s] mine-laying ships lie at the bottom of the sea since the American strikes.”
Iran did indeed lay mines to block the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil passes, causing oil prices to rise worldwide and angering Donald Trump. Against a ceasefire, Tehran later proposed allowing ships to pass in limited numbers, for a fee of about one dollar per barrel of oil transiting through the strait, payable in cryptocurrencies.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, had stated on Wednesday that the strait would soon be open to traffic “taking into account technical constraints”. According to the New York Times, these “technical constraints” refer to Iran’s inability to quickly locate or remove its mines.
These revelations could influence peace negotiations between the United States and Iran, which have just started in Pakistan, where the issue of traffic in the strait will be central.
