Trump orders Navy to shoot any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz amid ceasefire

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he ordered the US Navy to "shoot and kill" any small vessel caught laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz as a ceasefire between Washington and Tehran continues.

"I have ordered the United States Navy to shoot and kill any boat ... that is putting mines in the waters,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, adding that there is “to be no hesitation” in executing the order.

He claimed that the entirety of Iran's naval fleet, consisting of 159 ships, lies “at the bottom of the sea" and any boat laying mines would be "small boats."

The president also commanded an immediate tripling of minesweeping activities to clear the transit route, which Iran effectively disrupted following the beginning of the US-Israeli offensive on Feb. 28.

The order comes amid a ceasefire with Iran, which Trump extended indefinitely on Tuesday amid stalled negotiations.

The Pentagon told Congress that fully clearing the strait of mines could take up to six months, according to a report by the Washington Post. Lawmakers were told Iran may have placed 20 or more mines in and around the waterway, with some deployed remotely using GPS technology, making detection significantly more difficult, it reported.

The debate about mines in the Strait of Hormuz is not new. Trump suggested Iran had removed or was removing the mines, and that most Iranian "mine droppers" had been destroyed in US strikes.

But Iran has denied placing mines in the waterway, calling the allegations American propaganda, though Iranian media reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. has issued safe passage maps in the area.

'Total control' of Strait of Hormuz

Trump claimed in a separate post that Tehran is experiencing intense internal conflict between hardliners, whom he said are "losing badly on the battlefield," and moderates, who are "not very moderate" but "gaining respect."

"Iran is having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is," he claimed.

Trump asserted that Washington maintains "total control" of the Strait of Hormuz, and that no vessel can transit without the consent of the US Navy. He described the strait as being “sealed up tight” until Iran is "able to make a deal."

US forces have directed 31 vessels to turn around or return to port as part of Washington’s naval blockade of Iranian ports, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Thursday.

'The clock is ticking'

In another post, Trump pushed back on reports that he was “anxious” to end the war, saying he was "possibly the least pressured person ever to be in this position" and he had "all the time in the world," adding that Iran did not. "The clock is ticking.”

Trump claimed Iran's navy has been sunk, air force demolished, air defense and radar systems destroyed, and senior leaders killed. He said the blockade is "airtight and strong."

"From there, it only gets worse," he warned, adding that any deal would be made only "when it's appropriate and good for the United States of America, our allies and, in fact, the rest of the world."

'Don't rush me'

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump pushed back when asked how long he would maintain the ceasefire, telling a journalist not to rush him and criticized the reporter for comparing the war with prolonged US wars throughout history, including Vietnam, Iraq, the Korean wars and World War II.

"I've been doing this for six weeks," he said, adding Iran's military was "totally defeated," with the exception of small armed patrol boats "that they have running around with guns in them."

"We'll take them out too when we see them," said Trump.

Trump said he could leave immediately and declare success, claiming it would take Iran 20 years to rebuild. But he said that was not his intention. "I want to have it everlasting," he said.