U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday (April 11, 2026) posted on social media that the United States military has started to clear the Strait of Hormuz, and that all of Iran’s mine-laying ships have been sunk.
“We’re now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz,” he wrote in a Truth Social post, adding that “all 28” of Iran’s “mine dropper boats are also lying at the bottom of the sea”.
Minutes before Mr. Trump’s post, reports started to emerge about the presence of U.S. naval ships in the strait.
An Axios journalist, citing an unnamed U.S. official, posted that “several” U.S. ships had crossed the strait on Saturday (April 11, 2026), though Iranian state TV soon after reported a denial from an official with Iran’s military.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly said that American forces have destroyed Iran’s navy and air force while crippling its ballistic missile and nuclear programs.
Empty tankers heading to U.S. to load up with oil and gas: Trump
Earlier in the day, Mr. Trump said that large numbers of completely empty oil tankers were heading to the United States to load up with oil and gas.
“Massive numbers of completely empty oil tankers, some of the largest anywhere in the World, are heading, right now, to the United States to load up with the best and “sweetest” oil and gas anywhere in the World. We have more oil than the next two largest oil economies combined - and higher quality,” Mr. Trump said in a Truth Social post.
His post came as senior U.S. and Iranian officials were meeting on Saturday (April 11, 2026) in Islamabad with Pakistani intermediaries as Tehran laid down its red lines that it said Washington must accept before face-to-face talks could take place to end their six-week-old war.
Mr. Trump said earlier this week Iran should not charge fees to tankers going through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, which has caused the worst disruption to global energy supplies in history.
Published - April 11, 2026 05:39 pm IST