Trump Declares All Mines Cleared from Strait of Hormuz, Warns Iran Against New Deployments
On Tuesday afternoon, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he had received an update confirming all naval mines placed in the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz have been removed or detonated. Trump warned that Iran had been notified any vessel attempting to lay new mines would be destroyed immediately and systematically. He emphasized that through space-based surveillance, the U.S. is monitoring every square meter of the strait, as well as other strategic sites including Mount Pikaax and three nuclear facilities that have already been neutralized. Trump stated, "A zero-tolerance policy towards mine-laying is fully in effect."
This statement came after months of Trump asserting that the Strait of Hormuz remains open for navigation. Meanwhile, Iranian state-affiliated Tasnim news agency quoted a source close to Iranian negotiators denying reports that Pakistani Chief of Staff Asim Munir, who visited Tehran briefly, carried any threatening messages from the U.S. Instead, Munir sought to open negotiation channels and convey Iran's positions to the Americans.
Earlier reports indicated the U.S. is offering up to $10 million for information on senior leaders of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, including Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Trump also tweeted on his social platform Truth Social, condemning Iran's failure to pay large parts of its military and its harsh crackdown on protesters, calling it a humanitarian crisis that must be stopped immediately.
In parallel, the U.S. State Department is preparing to redeploy diplomats to Middle Eastern embassies that were evacuated amid tensions with Iran, according to a New York Times report citing internal documents. The phased return of personnel to embassies in Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, and Kuwait could begin this week, signaling a de-escalation and no imminent expectation of war with Iran. Staffing levels will initially be partial, with full returns planned for Israel, Jordan, and Oman.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari stressed ongoing efforts to resume negotiations with Iran and highlighted the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz and securing supply chains through diplomatic solutions. He noted Qatar has not decided on supporting sanctions against Iran and criticized Iran's closure of the strait as a violation of international law. On Israel and Gaza, he stated Qatar desires regional integration but criticized Israel's actions and supports applying pressure on Israel to accept Trump's Gaza plan.
