President Donald Trump on Thursday, April 22, 2026, ordered the U.S. Navy to “shoot and kill” Iranian small boats observed laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the sharpest escalation in U.S. enforcement posture since the naval blockade of Iranian ports began on April 13. The order, announced via Truth Social, applies specifically to vessels actively engaged in mine-laying operations in international waters of the strait.
Trump’s post described the U.S. naval blockade as “unbelievably effective” and said that Iran’s economic situation was being severely degraded by the loss of oil export revenue. “When you have lines of vast amounts of oil pouring through your system, if for any reason that line is closed because you can’t continue to put it into containers or ships, which has happened to them, they have no ships because of the blockade, what happens is that line explodes from within,” he said.
The order escalates the rules of engagement that had previously governed U.S. Navy operations in the strait. Earlier in April, U.S. Navy destroyers had conducted “mine clearance operations” described by U.S. Central Command as freedom-of-navigation transits. Today’s order moves from defensive clearance to active interdiction with lethal force authorized.
Iran responded sharply through state media. Iranian officials disputed Trump’s characterization of a leadership rift in the Islamic Republic and called the “shoot and kill” order a violation of international law. According to one earlier report, Iran has lost track of mines it planted in the Strait of Hormuz, which is part of why the strait has not fully reopened despite earlier diplomatic announcements.
The U.S. military also boarded a supertanker carrying Iranian oil in the Indian Ocean, far from the Strait itself. The boarding signals that the U.S. interdiction net extends well beyond the Persian Gulf, and that any vessel suspected of carrying sanctioned Iranian crude could face boarding and seizure on global shipping routes.
Oil markets responded with renewed volatility. WTI crude was up sharply in afternoon trading following the order, and Brent extended its weekly gains. The escalation reinforces the geopolitical risk premium that has held crude prices above $90 per barrel for weeks. For live market tracking, see our oil price dashboard and the geopolitics risk dashboard.