According to a Breitbart report by Joshua Klein, former President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that the U.S. Navy has “removed and/or detonated” all mines from international waters in the Strait of Hormuz. The report says unnamed U.S. officials described the development as a “watershed moment” that opens additional shipping routes and reduces Iran’s leverage over energy flows.
What Trump reportedly said
Per Breitbart, Trump coupled the announcement with a warning that any vessel attempting to lay new mines would be “immediately and systematically destroyed,” describing a “Zero Tolerance” policy. The report also says Trump claimed the United States is using Space Force capabilities to watch “every square inch” of the strait and monitor Iranian sites, including a facility he referred to as Pickaxe Mountain.
How the sweep was described
The article attributes to U.S. officials that Navy underwater drones spent months scanning the strait, identifying more than 100 suspected objects. It cites Axios as the outlet that reported that figure, and says private contractors were then brought in to remove or detonate them. The report says the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) and both entry and exit routes were cleared, opening an additional passage under U.S. protection.
Breitbart quotes one unnamed U.S. official as saying, “The Iranians have lost control over the strait. Now the U.S. controls it.”
Traffic and oil flows, per the report
Breitbart reports that more than 500 ships have moved through a southern channel in the past month. It also cites maritime intelligence service TankerTrackers as saying at least 15 ship-to-ship transfers totaling about 25 million barrels of crude were underway in the Gulf of Oman on a single day, with oil from nearly every regional country “except Iran.”
American officials quoted in the piece contend Iran’s main export hub at Kharg Island has been largely idle as a U.S. naval blockade cuts revenue.
Pressure campaign and diplomacy
On policy, the article attributes to Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the U.S. does not expect another major round of strikes “for the time being,” while keeping the option to respond to attacks. It says the administration is focusing on a blockade, sanctions run by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent under “Operation Economic Outcast,” and moving more oil through Hormuz. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott is quoted as saying Washington is “cutting off every financial lifeline the regime has remaining.”
The piece says Bessent spoke with Bahrain’s finance minister about preventing Iran from threatening commerce and vowed to work with partners to “cripple the threat of the Iranian regime.”
Iran-Oman talks and competing plans
Breitbart reports that Oman’s foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, called talks in Tehran with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi “constructive,” describing a phased framework for a temporary joint navigation corridor and mine-clearing project. Araghchi is quoted as presenting this as a regional solution with “future management of Hormuz.” Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi is cited as insisting Iran would not consider the strait fully reopened without U.S. concessions and as envisioning a permanent Iran–Oman arrangement that would close the southern route used by U.S.-protected shipping.
The article quotes unnamed U.S. officials arguing that the mine-clearing has stripped Tehran of a key bargaining chip: “Right now we are not negotiating with Iran. We are squeezing them.”
No talks, possible visits
Breitbart says the White House has stressed no current negotiations with Tehran despite Pakistani mediation, reporting that Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Tehran after speaking with Trump. The piece also says Rubio’s posture will likely hold through the November midterm elections, and that War Secretary Pete Hegseth has not ruled out renewed military action should hostilities resume. It adds that White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to visit U.S. Central Command for briefings.
All details above are drawn from the Breitbart report by Joshua Klein. DailyHeadlines.net has not independently corroborated these claims.
