President Donald Trump has ordered the US Navy to blockade Iran's ports and remove any Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage for Iran's global energy trade. The order would apply to all Iranian ports, both inside and outside of the strait. The mission aims to increase pressure on Iran by increasing its cashflow from the energy trade, but clearing any sea mines Iran has laid. The Navy has also begun minesweeping operations in the Straitit, and two US guided-missile destroyers have entered the straits to set conditions for clearing mines. To be legal, the US must comply with certain rules, including can the US effectively close off Iran’s ports to oil tankers and other merchant vessels, and if Iran accepts it as a violation of its sovereignty or a de facto expansion of maritime warfare, the possibility of a local military conflict increases.