WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump has effectively conceded that the strategic Strait of Hormuz remains unsafe for commercial traffic, admitting that low-cost Iranian sea mines, short-range missiles, and drones continue to paralyze movement through the vital energy corridor despite American military pressure.
In statements acknowledging the limits of U.S. deterrence in the Persian Gulf, Trump highlighted how Iranian asymmetric warfare has successfully deterred international shipping companies from risking high-value commercial vessels in the waterway.
“They can send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close-range missile somewhere along, or in, this waterway, no matter how badly defeated they are,” Trump said, conceding Iran’s ability to maintain a persistent threat over maritime transit.
Trump further noted that the reality of the threat has forced commercial operators to pull back entirely due to catastrophic financial risks.
“People don’t want to take their billion-dollar boats and accidentally get hit by a mine,” the President added. “You have one mine out there, you sort of mess things up.”
The admission marks a stark acknowledgment from Washington that air and naval strikes have failed to fully neutralize Tehran’s ability to disrupt global oil trade, leaving international efforts to reopen the strait stalled as shipping firms refuse to operate under threat of Iranian fire.
