, April 12 -- US President Donald Trump has said the United Kingdom and several allied countries will deploy minesweeper naval vessels to the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions in the region.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump said the UK and "a couple of other countries" are preparing to send minesweepers to help secure the strategic waterway, reports Al Jazeera.

The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday it had begun "setting conditions for clearing mines," indicating early operational steps to address potential maritime threats.

A report by The New York Times on Friday said US officials believe Iran may not be able to clear the mines it has placed in the Strait because it cannot locate them.

"And so I underst...