US President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Iran, saying that if Tehran places naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz and fails to remove them immediately, the United States will respond with military consequences “at a level never seen before,” according to his post on the Truth Social platform. Trump’s comments come amid reports that Iran may have begun deploying mines in the strategic waterway, a key chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world’s crude oil normally transits.
“If Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and they are not removed forthwith, the military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before,” Trump wrote, adding that removing any such mines would be “a giant step in the right direction.”
While Trump noted that US officials have no confirmed reports that mines have been laid, intelligence assessments cited by foreign news reports indicated that Iran may have already started placing a limited number in the strait using smaller vessels.
The warning follows reports that US forces have destroyed mine-laying boats and vessels believed to be associated with Iranian deployments in the strait. The potential mining comes amid the wider US‑Israel conflict with Iran, which has severely disrupted shipping and raised fears of prolonged global energy instability.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a flashpoint in the conflict. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps previously signaled it would take action against tanker traffic amid the war, while the United States has said it may consider escorting commercial vessels through the waterway to safeguard global energy supplies.
Trump’s comments underscore the high stakes around control of the strait, a narrow channel linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, and the broader geopolitical and economic pressures facing world markets as a result of the ongoing Middle East conflict.