Iran war update: April 23
- President Trump has said he has “no time pressure” for the ceasefire’s expiration date, after previously saying he was only extending the ceasefire to give Iran’s factions a few days to unify their position.
- The U.S. Navy is to “shoot and kill” any Iranian boats laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz and step up mine-clearing operations, Trump ordered. Iran has seized ships, imposed tolls, and refused to reopen the strait while the U.S. naval blockade remains in place.
- The U.S. has used half its Patriot missiles, one of the Army’s most important weapons systems, in just two months of fighting in the Iran war.
- The Department of War submitted a $1.5 trillion budget request to Congress on April 3, an increase of almost half a trillion compared to last year—as the U.S. approaches $40 trillion in national debt.
- Fully clearing the Strait of Hormuz from Iran’s sea mines could take six months, the War Department told Congress.
