Trump Says All Mines Cleared from Strait of Hormuz, Warns Iran Against New Planting

US President Donald Trump said on August 25, 2026, that all mines had been detonated or removed from international waters of the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran had been told any ship or boat placing new mines would be destroyed.

The statement follows months of tension over the vital waterway through which a significant share of global oil trade passes. Iran had earlier closed or restricted traffic in the Strait at the beginning of the current conflict, contributing to sharp swings in oil prices.

Trump’s claim was not accompanied by independent verification from the US Navy or other maritime authorities. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations had earlier reported that an oil tanker was struck by an unknown projectile off the coast of Oman near the Strait, with no casualties.

Iran has not immediately confirmed or denied the status of any mine-clearing operations. Tehran has previously insisted on its right to control access to the waterway in response to what it calls US aggression.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical chokepoints. Even temporary disruption raises insurance costs, diverts shipping and affects energy markets far beyond the Gulf. Claims of demining, if accurate, would reduce one source of immediate risk to commercial traffic.

Whether the clearance is complete, partial or contested will be tested by the actual behaviour of shipping companies and by any further incidents. Trump’s warning that new mining attempts will be met with destruction signals a readiness to use force to keep the waterway open.

Oil markets have already factored in elevated risk premiums throughout the conflict. A sustained reduction in the mine threat could ease some of those premiums, though other sources of uncertainty, including secondary sanctions and possible further military action, remain.

The statement fits a pattern of high-profile presidential assertions about the status of the conflict. Independent confirmation from naval forces or commercial shipping organisations will be needed before the claim can be treated as operational fact.