US President Donald Trump threatened that Iran would be “blown off the face of the Earth” if US vessels were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz during an interview with FOX News on Monday.
“We have more weapons and ammunition at a much higher grade than we had before,” Trump said. “We have the best equipment. We have stuff all over the world. We have these bases all over the world. They’re all stocked up with equipment. We can use all of that stuff, and we will, if we need it.”
Trump’s comments came just after several missiles were launched from Iran at the UAE, and the head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, said the US had destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted Iranian cruise missiles and drones fired by Tehran.
Cooper said he “strongly advised” Iranian forces to remain clear of US military assets as it launches the operation. He said a US blockade of Iran, which prevents ships from going to Iran or departing Iranian territory, also remains in effect and is exceeding expectations.
Earlier on Monday, a South Korean ship sailing near the Strait of Hormuz was attacked, according to the Korean media outlet Chosun Daily, citing a government official.
Trump acknowledged the attack in his FOX News interview, emphasizing that no other damage had been reported in the Strait.
He added that South Korea should join US efforts to protect ship movements near Iran, noting that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would hold a news conference on Tuesday with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine.
Also on Monday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-aligned Fars News Agency claimed that two missiles had hit a US naval frigate near the port of Jask at the southern entrance to the strait, forcing it to turn back.
A US official later told The Jerusalem Post that the IRGC claim was false, with CENTCOM noting two US-flagged ships had successfully transited the Strait on Monday, something Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) denied.
Over the past few months, Iran has repeatedly claimed to have struck several US naval ships operating in the region, including the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in early March.
