Trump to Iran: Target US ships near Hormuz and be ‘blown off the face of Earth’

US President Donald Trump on Monday warned that Iran would be “blown off the face of the earth” if it targeted American vessels involved in efforts to reopen shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, as Washington launched a major operation to assist hundreds of stranded ships in the Gulf.

The latest warning sharply escalates tensions in the region, where Tehran is seeking to maintain its blockade of the strategic waterway and reassert control over one of the world’s most critical trade routes.

The US military said its forces destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted multiple Iranian cruise missiles and drones during the operation — claims Tehran has denied.

More than 800 ships carrying roughly 20,000 crew members remain stranded in the Gulf as the standoff disrupts one of the world’s most vital energy corridors.

Speaking to Fox News, Trump described the naval effort as “one of the greatest military manoeuvres ever done” and claimed Iranian officials had become “far more malleable” in recent negotiations.

He also dismissed concerns about US military readiness.

“We have more weapons and ammunition at a much higher grade than we had before. We have the best equipment. We have bases all over the world. They’re stocked up, and we will use them if we need to,” he said.

Trump’s latest warning echoes remarks he made in April, when he said “a whole civilisation will die” if Iran refused to comply with US demands regarding Hormuz.

Those comments had triggered sharp international criticism.

The renewed rhetoric also raises fresh doubts over the fragile ceasefire brokered by Pakistan last month, which paused direct hostilities but failed to resolve the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

The waterway typically handles nearly a fifth of global oil supplies, making any disruption a major threat to global trade and energy markets.