Trump Vows US Will Destroy Mines to Prevent Strait of Hormuz Blockade

President Donald Trump has ordered the United States Navy to begin a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route, following the collapse of peace negotiations between the United States and Iran in Islamabad. The order, described by the president as effective immediately on April 12, 2026, marks a significant escalation in the Persian Gulf and comes after a tenuous ceasefire that had been in place since April 7, 2026.

The blockade is intended to maximize U.S. Leverage over Tehran. In addition to blocking passage through the strait, President Trump stated that the U.S. Navy will interdict every vessel in international waters that has paid a toll to Iran to pass through the shipping route. The president characterized these payments as illegal toll and asserted that such vessels would not have safe passage on the high seas.

As part of the military operation, the U.S. Navy has been tasked with sweeping the strategic channel to locate and destroy mines that the president claimed were laid by Iranians. Through social media posts on Truth Social on April 12, 2026, Trump warned that any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!

Collapse of Peace Negotiations

The decision to implement the blockade follows the failure of U.S. And Iranian negotiators to reach a long-term agreement during talks in Islamabad that concluded on April 11, 2026. A White House official told CNN that several key sticking points prevented a deal, including the status of Tehran’s nuclear program and its remaining facilities.

Other primary points of contention included the funding provided by Iran to various proxy groups and the requirement for the full opening of the Strait of Hormuz. While the negotiations have stalled, President Trump predicted that Iran will eventually return to the peace talks.

Military Threats and Potential Targets

Alongside the blockade order, President Trump repeated vows to take further military action if a deal is not reached. He claimed that he could take out Iran in one day and identified specific infrastructure as potential targets for U.S. Forces.

The targets listed by the president include bridges and water desalination plants. This rhetoric coincides with the deployment of the U.S. Navy to the region to enforce the blockade and clear the strait of naval mines.

Iranian and International Reactions

Iran has vowed to retaliate against any military vessels that enter the strait. The move by the United States is expected to risk a significant spike in global oil and gas prices, given the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz for energy exports.

The escalation has also drawn criticism from domestic figures. On April 12, 2026, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson spoke with the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, where he criticized the president’s handling of the conflict. Carlson described Trump as a slave to Israel and argued that the U.S. Entry into the war was the result of Israeli influence.

I don’t think it is as simple as ‘he is under the control of Netanyahu,’ but you could certainly summarize it that way and you wouldn’t be totally inaccurate

Tucker Carlson

Carlson had previously told Newsmax on Friday, April 11, 2026, that the president’s management of the war on Iran was awful to watch.