The crews of all three merchant vessels seized by the U.S. military over the past week are still in U.S. custody.
In a social media post Thursday morning, he said the military is intensifying its mine clearing efforts in the critical waterway.
Iran has fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz and seized two of them.
U.S. forces have boarded an oil tanker previously sanctioned for smuggling Iranian crude oil in Asia, the Department of Defense said Tuesday.
Lebanon and Israel held their first direct diplomatic talks in decades on Tuesday in Washington after more than a month of war.
FILE - The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier leaves Naval Station Norfolk, June 23, 2025, in Norfolk, Va. (AP Photo/John Clark, File)
President Trump says China has agreed not to provide weapons to Iran as reports circulate that Beijing has considered transferring arms.
President Trump said Monday they had been contacted by the other side and they want to work a deal.
Iran responded with threats on all ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, taking aim at U.S.-allied countries.
The blockade, announced by U.S. Central Command, will affect vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports.