Iran war: Trump orders 'shoot and kill' on mine-laying boats in Strait of Hormuz
What you need to know
- US President Trump ordered the Navy to 'shoot and kill' mine-laying boats in the Strait of Hormuz
- The US has said it seized another vessel accused of smuggling Iranian oil
- Iran says it has received its first payment from toll imposed on strait
- Iran's Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said a full ceasefire could only hold if Washington lifts its blockade of Iranian ports
- Iranian officials say no delegation would go to Pakistan until the blockade is lifted
- The impasse has effectively shut the crucial Strait of Hormuz
Here is a roundup of the latest developments from the Iran war on Thursday, April 23:
Skip next section Mojtaba Khamenei seriously wounded but 'mentally sharp' — report04/23/2026April 23, 2026Mojtaba Khamenei seriously wounded but 'mentally sharp' — report
According to a New York Times report, Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was seriously wounded in the US-Israeli airstrike that killed his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, but remains mentally sharp.
The report cited several unnamed Iranian officials and said that Mojtaba Khamenei had "at least for now" delegated decision-making to generals in the Revolutionary Guard. He has not appeared in public since succeeding his father, issuing only written statements. This had led some commentators to suggest that he was dead.
According to the report, although Mojtaba Khamenei was "gravely wounded" in the February 28 airstrike, he is "mentally sharp and engaged."
"One leg was operated on three times, and he is awaiting a prosthetic. He had surgery on one hand and is slowly regaining function. His face and lips have been burned severely, making it difficult for him to speak," the New York Times cited the officials as saying.
For security reasons, Mojtaba Khamenei remains in hiding. He only passes on handwritten messages, according to the report. Although Revolutionary Guard commanders do not visit him, President Masoud Pezeshkian — a heart surgeon — has reportedly been involved in his care.
Iran elects Khamenei's son as supreme leader
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https://p.dw.com/p/5CjXoSkip next section UN says Lebanon wants peacekeepers to stay next year04/23/2026April 23, 2026UN says Lebanon wants peacekeepers to stay next year
Lebanon has expressed a desire for UN peacekeepers to maintain a presence in the country once their current mandate expires next year, according to UN officials.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, said the UN Security Council has requested a review of all options, the results of which are to be presented by June 1.
Since 1978, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has monitored the border area between Israel and Lebanon. Its peacekeepers, known as "blue helmets" for their distinctive headgear, have played a key role in maintaining peace in the region.
Amid decades of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel, the troops have repeatedly found themselves in the crosshairs. On Saturday, two French soldiers were killed and two more were injured when they came under fire while clearing explosive devices from a road in southern Lebanon.
According to the UN, the current mission includes approximately 8,500 troops from nearly 50 countries and expires at the end of the year.
"In terms of the post-UNIFIL, we're currently in the process of working on these options," said Lacroix, adding that the Lebanese government has made it "very clear they want to keep UN presence, not necessarily identical to UNIFIL."
Lacroix did not elaborate on the different options, but he said that any potential presence would probably be smaller than that of UNIFIL.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CjUSSkip next section IN DEPTH: Iran's aily life shadowed by war, scarcity and fear04/23/2026April 23, 2026IN DEPTH: Iran's aily life shadowed by war, scarcity and fear
Shabnam von Hein | Niloofar Gholami | Sarah MajidiThe US naval blockade aims to put pressure on the Iranian regime, but it is ordinary Iranians who mostly feel the effects. They find their lives shaped by growing exhaustion and fear of job loss.
Many families are now living off their savings and do not know how long they can endure the situation. Sources from Iran report that numerous young people have returned to their parents' homes. Others are moving out of large cities such as Tehran.
Read more about how the war has worsened living conditions in Iran.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CjJiSkip next section Five killed by Israeli fire in Gaza, West Bank — medics04/23/2026April 23, 2026Five killed by Israeli fire in Gaza, West Bank — medics
Israeli attacks in the Palestinian territories have continued as it fought on fronts in Iran and Lebanon and despite a supposed ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza.
It was no different on Thursday, with at least four Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials.
Local medics said one person was killed and several others were wounded in a strike in southern Gaza's Khan Younis.
The Israeli military said it had targeted militants transporting munitions who posed a threat to Israeli soldiers.
A separate strike in Maghazi, a Palestinian refugee camp in the Deir al Balah area in central Gaza, resulted in the deaths of three others, including a rescue worker, according to health officials.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on that strike.
Since a US-brokered ceasefire came into effect in October, Israel has carried out repeated strikes on Gaza. Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of ceasefire violations.
Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, Israeli troops killed a 15-year-old boy during a raid in Nablus, according to the Palestinian Authority's Health Ministry.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CjD1Skip next section Trump says US has 'total' control over Strait of Hormuz04/23/2026April 23, 2026Trump says US has 'total' control over Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump wrote another social media post on Thursday morning (US time), saying the US has "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz.
"No ship can enter or leave without the approval of the United States Navy. It is 'sealed up tight' until such time as Iran is able to make a DEAL!!!"
Trump also said that Iran was plagued by infighting between hardliners and moderates.
But it is not clear whether Trump's strategy to strangle Iran's economy by placing a blockade on its ports has pressured Tehran's leadership into negotiating with the US.
Iran's deputy parliament speaker and top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said earlier today that his country had received the first revenue from the Strait of Hormuz tolling system.
The Iranian president yesterday in a post on X placed the blame on Trump for upending talks, saying the US blockade of Iranian ports, among other things, made negotiations untenable.
The New York Post reported that Pakistan was pushing for a second round of US-Iran talks on Friday. Trump extended a ceasefire earlier in the week with Iran, pressing Tehran to submit a proposal to revive talks to end the war permanently.
What does Trump's Iran ceasefire extension mean for peace?
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https://p.dw.com/p/5CilHSkip next section Trump orders US Navy to 'shoot and kill' Iranian boats placing mines in Hormuz04/23/2026April 23, 2026Trump orders US Navy to 'shoot and kill' Iranian boats placing mines in Hormuz
US President Donald Trump, in a morning social media post, ordered the US Navy to "shoot and kill" any boat putting mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump also said the military is intensifying its mine-clearing efforts in the critical waterway, where vessel traffic has all but halted since the war began in late February.
"I have ordered the United States Navy to shoot and kill any boat, small boats though they may be...that is putting mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz," Trump posted.
"There is to be no hesitation. Additionally, our mine "sweepers" are clearing the Strait right now. I am hereby ordering that activity to continue, but at a tripled up level!"
The message comes after Iranian leaders said there could be no further peace talks with the US as long as the US blockade of Iranian ships passing through the strait continues.
Trump extends US-Iran ceasefire as talks remain on hold
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https://p.dw.com/p/5CiZCSkip next section US military says it seized another vessel in the Indian Ocean04/23/2026April 23, 2026US military says it seized another vessel in the Indian Ocean
Alex Berry EditorThe US military seized another tanker accused of smuggling Iranian oil in the Indian Ocean during the US blockade of Iranian ports.
The incident comes a day after Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had seized two ships near the Strait of Hormuz. That in turn was a response to US forces boarding an Iranian ship in the Bay of Bengal — between India and Southeast Asia.
The US Defense Department on Thursday announced on X that it boarded a "sanctioned stateless vessel," carrying oil from Iran, in the Indian Ocean overnight.
"We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate," the post read.
Ship-tracking data showed the oil tanker, Majestic X, in the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and Indonesia, roughly the same location as the oil tanker Tifani, earlier seized by American forces.
The vessel was reportedly en route to Zoushan, China.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CiMsSkip next section Deposed Shah's son calls for regime change in Iran on Berlin visit04/23/2026April 23, 2026Deposed Shah's son calls for regime change in Iran on Berlin visit
Natalie MullerReza Pahlavi, the former Shah's son, is in Germany to drum up support for his global campaign to overthrow Iran's leadership. During a speech in the capital, he called the German government's refusal to meet with him "a disgrace."
Read DW's full report on what Reza Pahlavi said in his visit to Berlin.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CiK1Skip next section Iran war threatens to push millions back into poverty, UN development chief says04/23/2026April 23, 2026Iran war threatens to push millions back into poverty, UN development chief says
More than 30 million people will be pushed back into poverty by the impacts of the Iran war, including disruptions to fuel and fertilizers just as farmers in the Northern Hemisphere head into crucial months for planting crops, UN development chief Alexander De Croo told Reuters news agency.
Fertilizers have either risen in price or are shorter in supply as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to shipping. Much of the world's fertilizer is produced in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz is critical for fertilizers to be shipped to the rest of the world.
The shortages have already lowered agricultural productivity and would likely hit crop yields later this year, the former Belgian prime minister said.
"Food insecurity will be at its peak level in a few months — and there is not much that you can do about it," he said, also listing other fallouts of the crisis, including energy shortages and falling remittances.
"Even if the war would stop tomorrow, those effects, you already have them, and they will be pushing back more than 30 million people into poverty," he said.
Earlier this month, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the UN World Food Program warned that the war would drive up food prices, further burdening the world's most vulnerable populations.
Iran war triggers fertilizer crisis for India's farmers
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https://p.dw.com/p/5ChxsSkip next section Tehran receives first revenue from Strait of Hormuz tolling system, Iranian official says04/23/2026April 23, 2026Tehran receives first revenue from Strait of Hormuz tolling system, Iranian official says
Roshni MajumdarIran's deputy parliament speaker, Hamidreza Hajibabaei, announced that his country's central bank has received its first revenue from tolls imposed on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report carried by the semiofficial Tasnim news agency.
"The first revenue received from the Strait of Hormuz tolls was deposited into the Central Bank account," the report said.
The vital passageway has essentially remained closed to commercial shipping since the Iran war began at the end of February. Iranian grip over the waterway prompted the Trump administration to impose a new US blockade in the Strait beginning April 13 that also remains in place.
The shutdown of the vital shipping route, which accounts for a fifth of global supply of oil and liquefied natural gas, has sent global prices of oil, gas and fuel soaring.
Can Iran impose tolls?
Experts have criticized the Iranian payment system because charging vessels to pass safely through the strait contravenes international law.
Freedom of navigation "is the foundation of international maritime trade … the ability to go through these areas without any form of obstruction," Robert Huebert, an international relations expert at the University of Calgary in Canada, said. "If you were to do that [charge a fee], you would have direct opposition from almost every state."
Tehran first announced the tolls after the beginning of a US-Israeli bombing campaign and war against Iran.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Ch6ESkip next section Pentagon assessment says could take up to six months to clear Hormuz mines: report 04/23/2026April 23, 2026Pentagon assessment says could take up to six months to clear Hormuz mines: report
It could take up to six months to fully clear the Strait of Hormuz of Iranian-laid mines once hostilities end, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing a Pentagon assessment shared with US lawmakers.
The strait, a key shipping lane transmitting about one-fifth of the globe's oil and much of its natural gas, has been largely closed since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran, sending energy prices sharply higher.
According to the Post report, lawmakers were told in a classified briefing that Iran may have deployed at least 20 mines in and around the waterway, including some remotely floated using GPS technology, making them harder to detect.
The Pentagon assessment said mine-clearing operations were unlikely to begin before the war ends.
However, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told the newspaper that its information was "inaccurate."
Iran's Revolutionary Guard has declared a 1,400-square-kilometer "danger zone" where mines may be present.
Last week, a spokesperson for German shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd said companies needed clarity on safe routes, as concerns over mines continued to weigh.
How Iran's Navy wields power in the Strait of Hormuz
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https://p.dw.com/p/5CglcSkip next section IN DEPTH: School's out in Iran: No phone, no internet, no classes04/23/2026April 23, 2026IN DEPTH: School's out in Iran: No phone, no internet, no classes
Iran's schools are closed because of the war. Classes are being held via TV programs and the national intranet. Children without a laptop or smartphone are left out. The country is effectively cut off from the internet.
Read more on how the Iran war is affecting schoolchildren in this report by DW's Shabnam von Hein.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Cg73Skip next section Lebanon, Israel to discuss ceasefire extension in Washington04/23/2026April 23, 2026Lebanon, Israel to discuss ceasefire extension in Washington
Israeli and Lebanese officials are expected to hold a second round of direct talks in Washington on Thursday. Representatives are reportedly considering the extension of the 10-ceasefire that took effect last Friday.
Beirut has signaled that it would request a one-month extension before the truce expires in the coming days.
Lebanese officials also planned to raise concerns over widespread demolitions carried out by the Israeli military in the south during the negotiations.
The talks come a day after Israeli air strikes on Lebanon killed at least five people, including Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil.
Lebanese authorities say Israeli attacks have killed at least 2,454 people since the war began.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Wednesday that Israel had no "serious disagreements" with Lebanon, calling the Hezbollah militant group "the obstacle to peace and normalization."
A Hezbollah lawmaker told the AFP news agency the group could accept indirect talks with Israel mediated by the United States.
Israel‑Hezbollah ceasefire holds despite sporadic clashes
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https://p.dw.com/p/5CgPbSkip next section Iran executes man with alleged ties to MEK, Israeli intelligence 04/23/2026April 23, 2026Iran executes man with alleged ties to MEK, Israeli intelligence
Iran executed a man convicted of ties to the exiled opposition group Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK) and Israel's intelligence service, the judiciary's Mizan news outlet said on Thursday.
Soltanali Shirzadi Fakhr, according to Mizan, was a long-time MEK member and found guilty of cooperating with Israeli intelligence.
The report said the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence, which was carried out after legal procedures were completed.
On Wednesday, Iranian authorities had executed a man, Mehdi Farid by hanging after convicting him of ties to the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad.
https://p.dw.com/p/5CgIWSkip next section Oil jumps as Iran keeps Hormuz shut despite truce extension04/23/2026April 23, 2026Oil jumps as Iran keeps Hormuz shut despite truce extension
Oil prices surged on Thursday despite US President Donald Trump's extension of the Iran war ceasefire.
Tehran has said it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz to allow shipping traffic as long as a US naval blockade remains in place.
Crude prices jumped as much as 4% in early Asian trading, with the international oil benchmark Brent crude jumping 3.5% overnight to cross $100. Brent crude futures rose 0.6% to $102.47 a barrel.
Oil prices have climbed significantly since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. Brent crude was trading around $70 before the start of the conflict.
Countries around the world are experiencing an energy security shock amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding the war.
Trump extends US-Iran ceasefire as talks remain on hold
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