On the same day, Trump posted on Truth Social about the Iran conflict: "We are now starting operations to clear the Strait of Hormuz for countries around the world, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany and many others."
He said many of those countries lack the courage or will to carry out the work themselves. He added that, interestingly, numerous nations are sending empty tankers to the United States to be loaded with oil.
Trump asserted that while the media claim Iran is winning, "they're losing miserably." He said the only leverage Iran now has is the threat that ships might strike mines, and he claimed that all 28 of Iran's minelaying vessels have sunk.
He also said, "Above all, the two people who led Iran for a long time are no longer with us. Thank Allah."
Those remarks appear aimed at shifting responsibility to countries such as South Korea and reflect frustration that, amid U.S. military operations against Iran and what U.S. officials describe as an effective Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, other nations have not acted more aggressively to reopen the vital waterway.
