A U.S. official and another person familiar with the matter have told Axios that units of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy carried out a new round of mine-laying operations this week, marking the second such effort since the conflict began. American forces detected the activity and have been tracking it closely, the officials said, though they declined to specify how many mines had been deployed.

The renewed activity adds to what energy analysts have already described as an unprecedented disruption to global oil flows. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil passes through the strait in normal conditions, but traffic has dropped sharply in recent weeks.

After being briefed on the developments, President Donald Trump issued a blunt directive. “Shoot and kill any Iranian boats laying mines with no hesitation,” he wrote on social media, adding that American mine-clearing operations should continue “at a tripled up level.”

The United States has responded by expanding its naval presence, including the arrival of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush and its strike group, bringing the total number of American carriers in the region to three. U.S. Central Command said dozens of vessels had already been redirected since the blockade began.

Military officials say the mine-clearing effort now includes underwater drones and specialized ships, though the operation remains hazardous. The strait’s confined geography — combined with the threat of small, heavily armed Iranian vessels — has made it a volatile arena for an increasingly high-stakes standoff.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)