&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Weird stuff happens': Monkey temporarily derails Trump's 'shoot and kill' mission in Strait of Hormuz")
The Strait of Hormuz crisis has claimed its most unexpected casualty yet. A US Navy sailor had to be left behind in Thailand after being attacked by a monkey during a port stopover on his way to one of the most dangerous minesweeping operations in recent American military history. This comes as US President Donald Trump ordered troops to "shoot and kill any boat" that may be laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway which has been blockaded by Iran since the start of the war on February 28. In a state on Truth Social, Trump revealed "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." He added that there will be no "hesitation" and that US "mine 'sweepers' are clearing the Strait right now."
Also read | US to use nuclear weapons against Tehran? Trump FINALLY REVEALS his plan on day 55 of Iran war
US Navy sailor and the monkey that derailed a vital mission
According to an Axios report, an electronics technician, whose name has not been made public, was aboard the USS Chief minesweeper when it stopped in Phuket. There, a monkey scratched him. While the sailor got away with only a scratch, the encounter was serious enough to require medical attention. While officials described his wound as not severe, there is a risk of serious diseases. Macaques can carry the Herpes B virus, a rare but potentially fatal infection that the CDC recommends treating as a medical emergency. The sailor was evacuated to the vessel's home base in Sasebo, Japan, for proper evaluation and care.
"Weird stuff happens," a military official told Axios. "This was definitely an unknown unknown."
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US minesweeper mission delayed?
While the sailor's mission had to be put on hold, his misfortune did not delay the wider mission. The USS Chief continued toward the Strait of Hormuz alongside the USS Pioneer, both tasked with clearing Iranian mines from the waterway.
Iran has seeded the strait, through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and gas ordinarily flows, with mines deployed either remotely via GPS or by small boats, effectively shutting down commercial traffic and trapping hundreds of vessels in the Persian Gulf.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
