U.S. Destroys 16 Iranian Mine-Laying Vessels Near Strait of Hormuz

TDT | Manama

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The United States military said it has destroyed 16 Iranian vessels suspected of laying naval mines near the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions escalate in the region.

According to the United States Central Command, the vessels were “eliminated” on Tuesday during operations aimed at preventing any attempts to mine the strategic waterway, a critical global route for oil shipments.

Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said American forces had already “completely destroyed” 10 inactive mine-laying boats.

The warning came after reports suggested that Iran may have begun placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy transit routes.

In a message posted on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump demanded that any mines potentially deployed by Iran be removed immediately.

“If Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we have no reports of them doing so, we want them removed immediately,” Trump wrote.

He added that failure to comply would lead to military consequences but did not provide further details.

Trump also said the U.S. military is using advanced surveillance and interception technologies—similar to those used in operations against drug trafficking—to detect and permanently eliminate any vessel attempting to lay mines in the busy maritime corridor.

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital chokepoint through which a significant share of the world’s oil shipments pass daily, making security in the area a key concern for global energy markets.

Traffic in the waterway appeared reduced on Tuesday, with several tankers remaining anchored off the coast of Muscat, according to maritime observations.