President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that a secret United States military mission successfully ensured the safe passage of commercial shipping through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. According to Trump, this covert operation facilitated the movement of over 100 million barrels of oil and more than 200 commercial vessels through the key maritime route.
Trump’s Announcement on Truth Social
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump detailed the operation. He stated, 'Last month, I directed our Great U.S. Military to execute a secret mission to support Oil Tankers and other Commercial Ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Today, I am pleased to announce that this effort has resulted in more than 100 MILLION Barrels of Oil making its way through the Strait, and into the Open Market.'
Trump further claimed that more than 200 commercial ships had safely traveled through the Strait. He asserted, 'This wildly successful effort is because the UNITED STATES of AMERICA CONTROLS the Strait of Hormuz -- NOT Iran. Their military is defeated, and their economy is lost. It's over for Iran! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP.'
Renewed Threats Against Iran
Earlier, Trump had signaled that the United States would resume attacks on Iran, expressing frustration over Tehran’s delays in finalizing a deal with Washington. Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said, 'We're going to be attacking them, attacking them very hard.' He suggested that Iran’s downing of a US Apache helicopter provided justification for renewed military action. 'Based on the helicopter, I guess we have the right to do that,' he told reporters.
Trump confirmed that the US had already launched strikes and would continue military operations against Iran. 'We hit them hard yesterday. We're going to hit them again hard today, in case you miss it, in case you don't turn on your television set, and we'll see what happens with the deal,' he said.
Deal with Iran Remains on Table
Despite the aggressive rhetoric, Trump insisted that a deal with Iran had already been negotiated and was awaiting Tehran’s approval. 'All they have to do is they have to start signing a paper. It's fully negotiated,' he said. He added, 'We have a fully negotiated -- but they're tapping and tapping, and they say, 'All right, let's give them a couple of more days.' They're tapping because it's a meaningful paper.'
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments, and any disruption can have significant impacts on world energy markets. Trump’s claims of US control over the Strait underscore ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran.
