U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media Saturday that American forces have begun an operation to clear the Strait of Hormuz and asserted that Iran's mine-laying ships have been sunk. In his post, the president wrote: "We’re now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz," and added that "all 28" of Iran’s "mine dropper boats are also lying at the bottom of the sea".
Trump has repeatedly asserted that U.S. military action has destroyed Iran’s navy and air force and has significantly damaged its ballistic missile and nuclear programs. The current security dynamics in and around the strait have carried direct consequences for maritime traffic and global energy flows.
Over the past several weeks, concerns about possible Iranian attacks on commercial shipping have effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil shipments. Those disruptions to the passage have had a tangible effect on energy markets, according to reporting, contributing to wider volatility.
U.S. retail gasoline prices have risen sharply despite the fact that the bulk of oil transiting the strait does not flow to the United States. The price response illustrates how interruptions in a key chokepoint can transmit through global fuel markets and affect downstream prices even in markets that do not directly source the majority of their crude from that corridor.
Meanwhile, representatives from the United States and Iran met for talks hosted by Pakistan in Islamabad on Saturday, a diplomatic engagement taking place under the shadow of a fragile ceasefire. The talks were reported to have begun amid those tensions, signaling a concurrent diplomatic track alongside the military developments described by the U.S. president.
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