As the battle in the Persian Gulf continued, U.S. forces struck and destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, the world's most important waterway, after U.S. intelligence reported that Iran has begun laying a limited number of naval mines in the waterway, reports said.
The mining is still not very extensive, and a couple of dozens have been laid down in recent days, according to US media reports, which have also suggested that Iran still possesses above 80 to 90 percent of their small boats and mine layers, and could potentially drop hundreds more.
US President Donald Trump then posted on Truth Social: "If they (Iran) had dropped any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we had not heard about them, then we wanted them out of the water, now!"
Trump threatened to impose military consequences on Iran to a degree never experienced before unless they complied. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth later reinforced the message on X, saying at the orders of Trump: "US Central Command has been destroying inactive mine-laying boats and/or ships in the Strait of Hormuz--completely wiping them out with precision. We will never give in to terrorists who took Strait of Hormuz as a hostage.
U.S Central Command (CENTCOM) verified the attack via a social media post and said: "U.S forces took down several Iranian naval vessels March 10, including 16 minelayers off the Strait of Hormuz."
The release of the video footage of the strikes on the ships happened during the ongoing U.S.-Israel war with Iran, the second week of which is now underway, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatening to close the flow of oil shipments through the strait, declaring it practically closed and a death valley through which the ships could transit. Almost 15 million barrels per day of crude and 4.5 million of refined products are stuck in the gulf and producers such as Iraq and Kuwait do not have an alternative.
Oil markets were incredibly volatile with the price fluctuating between over 90 and less than 80 a barrel on Tuesday. Trump highlighted the strategic reserve depletion by signaling the release of strategic reserves to alleviate the shortages in his Monday press conference: "The Strait of Hormuz will be safe. There are plenty of Navy boats there. Our equipment of inspecting mines is the best in the world."
The full-scale mining might transform the slender route into a hellscape and cause a serious disruption in global energy resources. The reports of the pre-emptive strikes of the U.S. seem to be the intention to lower the capabilities of Iran before the worsening of the situation.
Iran has not officially responded on the reports of the mining or even loss yet, but the state media emphasized the enhanced operations in the region. The White House asserts that the U.S. is at the upper hand, and yet no comment on additional measures.
