The U.S. has begun the 'clearing' of the Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. has begun the 'clearing' of the Strait of Hormuz 'as a service' to Germany and other countries, Trump stated. The head of the White House announced the start of an American operation aimed at ensuring the safety of international shipping: 'We are now beginning the process of clearing the Strait of Hormuz as a service to countries around the world, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others.'

Donald Trump further criticized these countries for inaction. 'It’s astonishing, but they lack both the courage and the will to do this work themselves,' the U.S. president wrote on TruthSocial. He also reported on changes in global oil flows: 'Empty oil tankers from many countries are heading to the U.S. to load up with oil,' Deutsche Welle reports.

In the same message, the U.S. president made several harsh statements about Iran's military potential. 'Their navy is destroyed, their air force is destroyed, their air defense systems practically do not exist, radars are out of order,' he wrote, adding: '...their missile and drone factories are largely destroyed along with the missiles and drones themselves.'

According to Reuters, just minutes before Trump's post, reports began to emerge about the presence of U.S. Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz. An Axios journalist, citing an unnamed U.S. official, reported that 'several' American ships had already crossed the Strait. Soon, a representative of the Iranian Armed Forces denied this, local state television reported.