Trump Orders Navy to Fire on Iran Mine Boats

Three U.S. aircraft carriers are now operating in the region, including the newly arrived USS George H.W. Bush. The Pentagon told Congress that clearing the Strait of mines — should Iran's campaign continue — could take up to six months, a figure that stands in stark contrast to the decisive rhetoric from the White House. Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, elected by the Assembly of Experts on 8–9 March 2026 after his father Ali Khamenei was killed in joint U.S.-Israel strikes on 28 February, has publicly projected unity in the face of Trump's pressure. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told state media the country was "completely obedient" to its new supreme leader.

“aircraft carriers are now operating in the region, including the newly arrived USS George H.W.”

The ceasefire Trump extended on 21 April remains formally in place, but with the naval blockade maintained, both sides have defined it differently. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner flew to Islamabad on 24–25 April for indirect talks. Araghchi also traveled to Pakistan, though Iran's foreign ministry denied any direct U.S.-Iran meeting was scheduled. Trump told CNBC's Squawk Box on 21 April that he "could make a deal right now" with Iran — then added, characteristically: "Don't rush me."

Approximately 20 million barrels of oil move through the Strait of Hormuz every day, roughly 20 percent of all seaborne oil traded globally. UAE Presidential Adviser Anwar Gargash said on 24 April that restoring trust between the Gulf and Iran would take "ages and ages," signaling the depth of anxiety in the region even among American partners.

The harder constraint is domestic. Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, Congress must pass a joint resolution — requiring only a simple majority in both chambers — to authorize continuing U.S. hostilities beyond 60 days. That deadline falls on 1 May 2026. House Speaker Mike Johnson has not publicly committed to bringing such a vote to the floor, and multiple Republican senators have signaled reluctance to provide open-ended authorization. The administration has not acknowledged the deadline publicly, but congressional staff on the Armed Services committees have begun drafting resolution language.

If Trump allows the deadline to pass without congressional action, he will be operating in untested legal territory while simultaneously managing volatile oil markets, three carrier strike groups in the Gulf, and an Iranian leadership that has shown it can disrupt shipping at will. The next 72 hours, from Islamabad to Capitol Hill, will determine whether the conflict has a diplomatic offramp — or whether mines and military orders define the weeks ahead.