President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, Aug. 25, that all Iranian mines in the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz had been removed and that the United States was enforcing a "zero tolerance" policy on the placement of additional mines.
"I have just been informed by the United States Navy that all mines have been removed and/or detonated from within the International Waters of the Strait of Hormuz," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Tuesday. [1]
Strait of Hormuz Conflict Background
Before the conflict, the crucial waterway was treated as international territory, allowing vessels to enter and exit the Persian Gulf freely. After the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in February, Tehran seized control of the Strait, according to officials. [5] Tehran says that ending the war requires the U.S. to recognize the Strait as Iranian and Omani territory.
Iran plans to charge a "service fee" to ships transiting the waterway. [2] The Strait is a narrow waterway that lies between Iran and Oman. The waterway is the only entrance or exit for the Persian Gulf, and about a fifth of the world's energy crosses the Strait. [2]
U.S. Operations and Tracking Discrepancy
U.S. officials claim that the Navy is assisting several tankers in transiting the Strait each day with a fighter jet escort near the Omani coastline. Last week, Washington said that 15 million barrels of oil exited the waterway on a single day. [2] However, tracking agencies have not recorded a substantial number of vessels successfully transiting the Strait. [2]
Axios' Barak Ravid reported speaking with three U.S. officials who said that dozens of tankers carrying 16 million barrels of oil safely exited the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. Kpler, a global data and analytics platform that tracks physical commodity markets and shipping in real time, recorded zero vessels exiting the waterway. [6]
Oman-Iran Negotiations and Trump Threats
Oman and Iran have engaged in direct negotiations to come to an agreement on new shipping protocols for the Strait. The deal would give Iran full control over ships entering the Persian Gulf, while exiting ships would be subject to joint oversight between Tehran and Muscat.
Additionally, the two nations would charge service fees for ships using the Strait. The funds would be split between Iran and Oman. [2]
On Aug. 14, Trump told Fox News journalist Trey Yingst: "If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the s**t out of them." [4] On Saturday, Aug. 22, Trump posted an image on Truth Social showing the Strait of Hormuz as "new U.S. territory." It is the second time he posted the graphic this month. [5]
Economic War and Conclusion
Trump believes that the U.S.'s economic war on Iran will cause significant pain and force Tehran to comply with his demands. [2] The U.S. threat to sever Iran’s economic lifeline with a raft of new sanctions, coupled with Tehran's warnings of military retaliation and further restrictions on oil exports, has deepened the crisis. [3] No final agreement has been announced; negotiations continue.
References
- "Trump Says US Navy Has Removed All Mines in Strait of Hormuz". NTD. August 25, 2026.
- Kyle Anzalone. "Trump Claims All Mines Cleared from Strait of Hormuz". Antiwar.com. August 25, 2026.
- Zahra Ladha. "Trump’s ‘economic D-Day’ tests Iran’s trading ties across the region". Middle East Eye. August 26, 2026.
- "‘We’ll Bomb The S– Out of Them’: President Trump Issues Blunt Warning To US Ally Oman". 100PercentFedUp.com. August 17, 2026.
- Kyle Anzalone. "Trump Posts Image Labeling Strait of Hormuz as ‘New US Territory’". Antiwar.com. August 23, 2026.
- Kyle Anzalone. "US Claimed 40 Tankers Exited Strait on Single Day, Tracking Agency Recorded Zero". Antiwar.com. August 23, 2026.
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