U.S. President Donald Trump in a morning social media post ordered the U.S. military to “shoot and kill” Iranian small boats choking the Strait of Hormuz.

Mr. Trump also said the military is intensifying its mine clearing efforts in the critical waterway.

U.S. President Donald ​Trump on Sunday (April 12, 2026) said the U.S. ‌Navy would immediately start ​blockading the Strait of ⁠Hormuz and would also interdict every vessel in international waters that had ‌paid a toll to Iran.

Mr. Trump made his ‌remarks in a Truth ‌Social ⁠post hours after U.S-.Iran peace ⁠talks ended without a deal. Mr. Trump said the meeting “went well, most points ​were agreed,” ‌but added the two sides had not agreed on Iran’s nuclear program.

U.S. President Donald Trump on ​Friday said the U.S. can open the ‌Strait of Hormuz with a ​little more time, as pressure ⁠mounts for his administration to find a quick resolution to a war against ‌Iran.

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“With a little more time, we can easily ‌OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE ‌OIL,& ⁠MAKE A FORTUNE,” Mr. Trump ⁠said in a post on Truth Social.

Nearly five weeks after it started with a ​joint U.S.-Israeli aerial assault, ‌the war in Iran continues to spread chaos across the region and roil financial markets, raising ‌the pressure on Mr. Trump to find ​a quick resolution to the conflict.

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Iran has effectively ⁠shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway that carries about ‌a fifth of the world’s total oil consumption, in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli strikes that began in late February. Reopening it has become a priority for governments around the ‌world as energy prices soar.

In the ​speech on Wednesday (April 1, 2026) night, Mr. Trump repeated his threats against Iran’s ⁠civilian power plants and gave no ⁠clear timeline for ending hostilities, drawing vows of retaliation from Iran ‌and depressing share prices.

U.S. President ‌Donald Trump suggested on ​Thursday that ⁠Iran let ten oil tankers transit the Strait of ‌Hormuz as a goodwill gesture ‌in negotiations, including some ‌Pakistan-flagged ⁠vessels.

Trump made ⁠the comments at a Cabinet meeting in the ​White House, elaborating ‌on what he had previously described as a “present” from Iran.

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“They ‌said, to show ​you the fact that we’re ⁠real and solid and we’re there, we’re going ‌to let you have eight boats of oil, eight boats, eight big boats of oil,” ‌Trump said. “I guess they were ​right, and they were real, and ⁠I think they were Pakistani-flagged… ⁠It ended up being 10 ‌boats.”

Iran’s Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani responded to U.S. President Trump’s threat of hitting Iran “20 times harder” if the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz is stopped, saying the chokepoint could be a “Strait of defeat” for the U.S.

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“Strait of Hormuz will either be a Strait of peace and prosperity for all or will be a Strait of defeat and suffering for warmongers.” Mr. Larijani posted in social media in English, Arabic, Persian, Mandarin, Russian and French.

He had earlier reposted Mr. Trump’s post, saying “the Iranian people do not fear your hollow threats; for those greater than you have failed to erase it… So beware lest you be the ones to vanish.”

Earlier in the day, Mr. Trump threatened Iran with “death, fire and fury”.

“If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far. Additionally, we will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back, as a Nation, again — Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them,” Mr. Trump wrote in a post. “But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen! This is a gift from the United States of America to China, and all of those Nations that heavily use the Hormuz Strait,” he added.

About 20–21 million barrels of oil move through the strait every day. Around 20% of global LNG trade also passes through the strait, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf Oman that joins the Arabian Sea. Traffic through the strait has been disrupted since the U.S. and Israel started the war on February 28.