President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that all naval mines have been removed from the Strait of Hormuz, designating the strategic waterway as « new US territory. » US forces destroyed between 10 and 16 Iranian minelaying vessels following an ultimatum issued in March 2026, though intelligence services estimated Iran possessed approximately 6,000 mines before the conflict began. Shipping data tells a different story: only around 10 vessels transited the strait on a recent Monday, compared with a pre-war average of 130 to 140 per day, representing a decline of more than 90 percent. Diplomatic negotiations have stalled, with Tehran conditioning any cooperation on the lifting of sanctions and the release of frozen assets.
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