President Donald Trump has announced that he has ordered the United States Navy to “shoot and kill” small Iranian boats attempting to deploy mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

His directive was issued via social media and came shortly after American forces seized another tanker accused of smuggling Iranian oil, further escalating the confrontation with Tehran.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical waterway through which around 20 per cent of global crude oil and natural gas shipments pass, making it a focal point of the ongoing standoff.

Trump stated that mine-clearing operations are already underway and ordered them to be intensified at “a tripled up level.” He emphasised that there should be no hesitation in targeting vessels engaged in mining activities.

The announcement followed an attack by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on three cargo ships in the strait, two of which were captured, underscoring the volatility of the situation.

The Pentagon released footage showing US forces boarding the Guinea-flagged oil tanker Majestic X in the Indian Ocean. The vessel, previously known as Phonix, had been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in 2024 for smuggling Iranian crude oil.

Ship-tracking data indicated that the Majestic X was intercepted between Sri Lanka and Indonesia, near the location where the tanker Tifani had earlier been seized by American forces. The Majestic X had been bound for Zhoushan, China.

The Pentagon stressed that maritime enforcement operations would continue globally to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels supporting Iran. Tehran has not yet issued a response to the seizure.

This development comes against the backdrop of Trump’s decision earlier in the week to extend a ceasefire while maintaining the American blockade of Iranian ports.

There has been no indication that peace talks, previously hosted in Pakistan, will resume in the near future. The blockade and repeated attacks have effectively halted nearly all exports through the Strait of Hormuz, with no resolution in sight.

Meanwhile, in Berlin, Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi was attacked with red liquid as he left a news conference. Police detained the alleged perpetrator immediately. During the event, Pahlavi criticised the ceasefire agreement, arguing that it was based on unrealistic expectations of the Iranian government’s behaviour.

Pahlavi, who has lived in exile for nearly five decades, continues to position himself as a potential figure in Iran’s future political landscape despite the legacy of his father’s overthrow in 1979.

Since the outbreak of war between Iran, Israel and the United States on 28 February, more than 30 ships have been attacked in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. Rising insurance premiums and the threat of further attacks have paralysed traffic through the strait, which remains a major strategic advantage for Iran.

The ceasefire has been repeatedly strained by US attacks on Iranian vessels and retaliatory actions by Iran against commercial shipping. Diplomatic efforts in Islamabad remain stalled, with officials acknowledging the difficulty of bringing both sides to the negotiating table.

The conflict has already driven global gas prices sharply higher, with knock-on effects on food and consumer goods. Officials worldwide have warned that the economic consequences could be severe and long-lasting, affecting businesses and households far beyond the Middle East.

Agencies