President Donald Trump on Wednesday pushed back against reporting that Iran had deployed mines in the Strait of Hormuz, telling reporters, "We don't think so." His remark contrasts with a Reuters story published the same day that cited unnamed sources saying the Islamic Republic had placed approximately a dozen mines in the strategic waterway.
Pressed on whether U.S. oil companies should continue to transit the strait, the president responded simply, "they should," urging American firms to keep using the route.
On the broader conflict, Mr. Trump reiterated his view that it will end soon but did not offer a firm timetable. He said, "we're not finished yet" and that the United States must keep doing "more of the same." In a separate interview with Axios conducted earlier, he asserted the war would end soon because there is "practically nothing left to target" in Iran. Those remarks followed comments on Monday in which he made similar claims.
Officials outside the White House struck a more measured tone. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later said there was no set timeline for pursuing the total defeat of the Islamic Republic, indicating a disconnect between the president's public optimism and official pronouncements on operational objectives.
Operational advisories and naval reports underscored heightened maritime risk. U.S. Central Command used social media on Wednesday to warn civilians to "immediately avoid all port facilities where Iranian naval forces are operating" along the strait. The UK Navy reported that three vessels were struck with suspected projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, and Oman said a Thai-flagged cargo vessel was also targeted.
Energy market responses intensified alongside these security developments. The International Energy Agency agreed to release 400 million barrels from emergency oil reserves, a volume that exceeds the 182 million barrels member countries discharged following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Global crude consumption stands slightly above 100 million barrels per day, and Gulf producers have been forced to cut output by roughly 6% so far.
Bottom line: The president publicly cast doubt on reports of mine-laying in the Strait of Hormuz and urged continued commercial transit, even as international agencies and naval forces responded to attacks and energy supply pressures.