Trump says Navy will ‘shoot and kill’ boats laying mines in Strait of Hormuz

In the latest cycle of threats and concessions that have marked US President Donald Trump’s approach to the war that he and his Israeli counterpart…

In the latest cycle of threats and concessions that have marked US President Donald Trump’s approach to the war that he and his Israeli counterpart started against Iran, the mercurial leader said on Thursday he would destroy any undersized boats attempting to lay mines in the blocked Strait of Hormuz.

His focus on diminutive vessels followed his oft-repeated messaging that Iran’s larger naval vessels no longer exist as he renews his effort to muscle Tehran’s frustratingly resilient regime to concede defeat.

“I have ordered the United States Navy to shoot and kill any boat, small boats though they may be … that is putting mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz”, Trump wrote on social media, adding that Iran has no navy since “ALL 159 of them” are at the bottom of the sea.

Trump’s latest warning came as Israel signalled it was ready to pile on more pressure.

Defence minister Israel Katz said on Thursday that Israel was “prepared to resume the war against Iran”, adding that his country was awaiting a green light from the United States to return Iran to a prehistoric state.

“The IDF is ready both defensively and offensively, and the targets have been marked,” Katz said in a video, referring to the Israeli Defence Forces.

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