President Donald Trump asserted on Monday that the United States has full control over the Strait of Hormuz and has completed a mine sweep of the critical oil waterway, according to a White House press briefing (arabnews.pk). During a meeting with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump emphasized that the U.S. Navy currently holds dominance over the strategic passage, which is vital for global oil trade.
Separately, multiple reports suggest Trump was involved in a covert operation to avoid an alleged Iranian assassination plot. According to sources, the president was hidden in a catering cart at an airport in Turkey and secretly flown out on a military jet, rather than aboard Air Force One, as publicly announced (dailystar.co.uk). This maneuver came after threats from Iran, as reported by the Washington Post and New York Times (theguardian.com).
In another development, Trump has called on Iran to compensate for casualties in past conflicts, including those from the 2000 Al Qaeda attack on the USS Cole. This demand aligns with broader tensions between the U.S. and Iran, though diplomatic efforts to secure a deal over the Strait of Hormuz have reportedly stalled (dawn.com).
