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US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) issued a sharply worded statement against Iran, calling on the country to refrain from placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz and warning of military consequences if they are not removed.
He made the remarks in a post on Truth Social. The US President said, "If Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we have no reports of them doing so, we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY! If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before. If, on the other hand, they remove what may have been placed, it will be a giant step in the right direction! Additionally, we are using the same Technology and Missile capabilities deployed against Drug Traffickers to permanently eliminate any boat or ship attempting to mine the Hormuz Strait. They will be dealt with quickly and violently. BEWARE! President DONALD J. TRUMP" Shortly thereafter, in another post on Truth Social, Trump said that 10 inactive mine-laying boats/ships had been hit and destroyed. He said on Truth Social, "I am pleased to report that within the last few hours, we have hit, and completely destroyed, 10 inactive mine-laying boats and/or ships, with more to follow! President DONALD J. TRUMP" The US Central Command also posted on X the video of reducing Iran's power at sea. It said, "U.S. forces are degrading the Iranian regime's ability to project power at sea and harass international shipping. For years, Iranian forces have threatened freedom of navigation in waters essential to American, regional and global security and prosperity." Earlier on Tuesday, during a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the United States has not ruled out the option of sending troops on the ground in Iran and that the military operations in the Persian Gulf nation would end once the objectives of Epic Fury are achieved. The developments follow amid an escalating security situation in West Asia, which has resulted in the conflict being now expanded beyond Iran, with Iranian retaliatory strikes--using missiles and drones--targeting U.S. military bases, embassies, and civilian/energy infrastructure in neighbouring Gulf nations, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. The conflict has caused significant disruptions to global energy supplies, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, where approximately 20% of the world's oil transits. (ANI)
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