US President Donald Trump assured today that Washington destroyed “28 Iranian mine-laying ships”, responsible for placing explosives in the Strait of Hormuz.
“We have attacked 28 mine-laying ships so far,” Trump told the press in the state of Ohio, once again describing the Israeli-American offensive against Iran as an “excursion” and guaranteeing that it was “very ahead of schedule” in relation to the expected schedule.
“We dismantled almost all of their mine-laying ships in one night,” Trump said moments earlier at the White House (seat of the presidency), suggesting that up to 60 Iranian ships had been hit since the start of the war on February 28.
“We’ve already reached ship number 60. I didn’t know they had such a big Navy. I would say it was big and ineffective,” he said.
“Practically your entire Navy has disappeared,” he insisted.
For its part, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed on Tuesday to have destroyed “several Iranian warships” near the Strait of Hormuz, citing 16 ships that it accuses of having threatened “freedom of navigation”.
The situation in the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil and a significant amount of strategic minerals passes, changed the international oil and gas market after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatened to attack any ship that crossed it.
Trump guaranteed that navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is safe and encouraged oil companies to use this maritime route, at the same time as he renewed his threats against Iran.
“It could be much worse (…). We hit them harder than any other country in history, and we’re not done yet,” he warned.
“Right now, they have lost their Navy, they have lost their Air Force, they have no anti-terrorism. They have no radar, their leaders have disappeared and we could be much worse”, added the Republican President.
Anonymous sources cited by US broadcaster CNN stated that, for now, Iran has laid only a few dozen mines, but that it could increase the number to hundreds with the fleet it still maintains.
The United Kingdom’s Maritime Commercial Operations agency (UKMTO) reported that three ships were hit today by projectiles near the Strait of Hormuz and in the waterway itself.
For its part, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic, claimed responsibility for the attack on an Israeli-owned and Liberian-flagged ship, the “Express Rome”.
Tehran also guaranteed that it will not allow “not one liter of oil” to cross the Strait of Hormuz for the benefit of the United States (USA), Israel or their partners.
Iran also threatened today to attack “all ports and economic centers in the region” if possible US attacks on Iranian port facilities materialize.
CENTCOM said Iran is using civilian ports along the Strait of Hormuz to conduct military operations that threaten maritime traffic.
CENTCOM further warned that civilian infrastructures used for military purposes “lose their protected status and become legitimate targets under international law”.
Lusa
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