U.S. says it destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. military says it has destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, after Tehran threatened to not allow oil to pass through the waterway, through which a fifth of the world’s crude flows.

“U.S. forces eliminated multiple Iranian naval vessels, March 10, including 16 minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on X.

Trump previously said the U.S. had “completely destroyed” 10 inactive mine-laying vessels.

In apparent response to media reports that Iran had begun laying mines in the waterway, a key passage for oil shipments, Trump posted on Truth Social: “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!”

He said that if Tehran did not do so it would face military consequences. 

Tuesday, which marked day 11 of the U.S. and Israel’s war on Iran, saw some of the most intense attacks yet, Euronews reported citing residents of the Iranian capital. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has said that U.S. attacks would be more intense.

Iran has continued to retaliate throughout the day, firing multiple barrages of missiles and drones at Israel and targets across neighbouring Gulf states.

The U.S. and Israel launched what they described as a pre-emptive strike against Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran was developing a nuclear weapon and posing a threat—an allegation Iran has denied. In response, Iran launched counterattacks, firing missiles and drones at Israel, as well as at U.S. assets and other targets across the Middle East. 

Meanwhile, Israeli attacks are continuing to heavily target Lebanon on a daily basis, as Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah members and infrastructure.

Euronews reported citing Lebanese officials that Israeli attacks on the Lebanese cities of Tyre and Sidon on Tuesday killed at least seven people and injured dozens more. It comes in addition to the latest released death toll figures from a day prior, where Beirut detailed that at least 397 people were killed during the war so far, Euronews reported. 

The UN voiced its concerns with the unfolding humanitarian crisis in the already economically struggling Lebanon, after it said that its investigations have uncovered that at least 667,000 people were internally displaced by Israeli attacks over the course of the last two weeks.