WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. military has been told by President Donald Trump to "shoot and kill" Iranian small boats choking the Strait of Hormuz.

On the morning of April 23, Trump said on social media that the military is increasing efforts to clear mines from an important water route. This has worsened tensions between the U.S. and Iran in the Persian Gulf.

He said he has told the U.S. Navy to destroy any small boats that are placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, without any delay. He also said that mine-clearing ships are already working there and that their efforts should be increased to three times the current level.

Earlier that day, the U.S. military said it had captured another ship linked to smuggling Iranian oil. This added to the confusion about whether efforts to end the war are actually working. Ship-tracking data showed that a ship called Majestic X was near another tanker, Tifani, which U.S. forces had already seized.

The day before, the U.S. Senate supported Trump by rejecting a Democratic proposal to stop the war in Iran. The vote was 46–51. Most Republicans in Congress have supported Trump's military actions. This was the fifth time this year that the Senate allowed the president to take control of war decisions, which Democrats argue is illegal and not justified.

In a related development, exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who has been trying to position himself as a replacement for Iran's current religious leadership, was attacked with red liquid after a press conference in Berlin. He waved to supporters afterward and left in a car.

Police quickly arrested the person responsible. Pahlavi has lived outside Iran for nearly 50 years. His father, the former Shah of Iran, was very unpopular, and in 1979, millions of people protested and forced him out of power. Even so, Pahlavi is now trying to play a role in Iran's future.