Trump Warns: Strait of Hormuz Cleared of Mines, 'Anyone Who Lays New Ones Will Be Destroyed'

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday afternoon that he had received an update saying that all mines placed in the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz had been removed or detonated. Alongside the announcement, the president issued a direct warning to Iran, making clear that any renewed attempt to mine the strategic shipping route would be met with immediate action.

According to Trump, "Iran has been notified that any ship or boat that lays new mines will be destroyed immediately and systematically. Through the Space Force, we are monitoring every square meter of the strait, just as we are doing with Mount Pickaxe and the three other nuclear sites that have already been destroyed. A zero-tolerance policy toward the laying of mines exists and is in full effect."

Alongside the tough messages directed at Tehran, developments in Washington may point to a drop in regional tensions. The U.S. State Department is preparing to return diplomats to Middle East embassies that were evacuated before and during the war with Iran. According to a report in The New York Times, based on an internal department document, the return of Foreign Service personnel and the scaling back of emergency measures at the missions could begin as early as this week.

Officials who spoke with the newspaper said the redeployment of staff signals a reduction in tensions in the region and may even indicate that the Trump administration does not believe the war with Iran is expected to resume. Among the missions expected to increase their staffing again are the embassies in Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Iraq, and Kuwait.