Trump Claims US Navy Has Cleared Iranian Mines, Has Full Control of Strait of Hormuz
WASHINGTON:US President Donald Trump has claimed that the US Navy has completely removed mines allegedly laid by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and now has full control of the strategic waterway.
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump said the Strait of Hormuz was now open and under the sole control of the US Navy.
According to Trump, Iran occasionally lays mines in the strait, but US naval forces locate and remove them. He claimed that the American Navy had now cleared the entire Strait of Hormuz of mines.
The US president further claimed that Washington had achieved “100 percent control” of the waterway and that Iran had no authority over any part of the strait.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically important maritime routes, connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
A significant share of global oil and gas shipments passes through the strait, meaning any disruption in the waterway can have an immediate impact on international energy markets.
