Donald Trump ordered the destruction of Iranian boats laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, April 23, 2026, the latest episode in the ongoing maritime standoff between the two adversaries. Despite a unilateral extension of the American truce that came into effect on April 8, the tone and actions remain aggressive, with no sign, at this stage, of a diplomatic deadlock.
The American president ordered the navy to “shoot down” all boats, “no matter how small they are” that lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz, subjected to the Iranian and American double blockade. “There should be no hesitation,” he wrote on his Truth Social network.
American and Iranian seizures
Prior to this, the American army announced boarding and inspecting a ship under sanctions carrying Iranian oil in the Indian Ocean overnight, the second operation of this kind conducted in the area this week. “We will continue to conduct global maritime control operations to disrupt illicit networks and intercept ships providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate,” the Pentagon declared.
Iran, on the other hand, seized two ships on Wednesday in the strait and emphasized that it would remain closed until the United States lifted the blockade of Iranian ports that they have imposed since April 13.
The number of crossings has decreased since Sunday, while incidents involving boats have increased. Analysts, however, believe that while the US blockade is expected to slow Iran’s oil production, it is premature to predict its economic collapse. “The country has also proven its ability to withstand substantial drops in oil revenue during previous rounds of sanctions,” noted Jamie Ingram of the Middle East Economic Survey (MEES).
Furthermore, even if the adversaries reach an agreement, demining the Strait of Hormuz could take six months, impacting global oil prices, according to a classified Pentagon presentation to the US Congress revealed by the Washington Post.
Hypothetical European security plan
The Europeans, although marginalized, continue their efforts to establish a security plan for the strait at a meeting in London on Thursday, once peace is achieved in the Middle East. This hypothesis still seems distant. Negotiations between Americans and Iranians, which were supposed to resume in Islamabad earlier in the week after an initial session on April 11, are still on hold.
On Thursday, Israel expressed readiness to resume war against Iran. Its army “is ready, both defensively and offensively, and the targets [in Iran] have been designated,” stated Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz. “We are waiting for the green light from the United States – primarily to complete the elimination of the Khamenei dynasty,” as well as “to bring Iran back to the dark ages and the Stone Age,” he added.
Lebanon and Israel discuss in Washington
In Lebanon, five people, including a journalist, were killed on Wednesday and three on Thursday in Israeli airstrikes in the south of the country, despite the truce between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah in effect since April 17 and set to expire on Sunday.
Israel and Lebanon are set to resume talks in Washington on Thursday, denounced by Hezbollah, who also announced carrying out three operations against Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.
In Washington, Beirut will request a one-month extension of the truce and a halt by Israel of “destruction operations” in the south of the country, according to a Lebanese official source.
Since the start of the war in Lebanon on March 2, Israel has taken control of a strip of territory about ten kilometers deep along the border. According to the latest official tally, at least 2,454 people have been killed in Lebanon in six weeks of war.
