U.S. military destroys at least 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels ‘near Strait of Hormuz’

The U.S. military said it has destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels “near the Strait of Hormuz” on Tuesday (March 10, 2026), following reports Tehran is mining the key waterway that has been virtually closed due to the war in West Asia.

“U.S. forces eliminated multiple Iranian naval vessels, March 10, including 16 minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz,” the United States Central Command said in a post on X that included video footage of various boats being struck by projectiles and exploding.

Earlier in the day, President Donald Trump said U.S. forces had destroyed 10 Iranian mine-laying vessels. He also warned Tehran of unprecedented military consequences if it targets the Strait of Hormuz.

His comments came after Tehran vowed that no Gulf oil would pass through the key waterway, with oil prices remaining highly volatile over the virtual halt of shipping in the strait.

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“I am pleased to report that within the last few hours, we have hit, and completely destroyed, 10 inactive mine laying boats and/or ships, with more to follow!” Mr. Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

After several U.S. media outlets said Iran had either started or was on the verge of mining the Strait of Hormuz, Mr. Trump said he had no reports that such action had begun.

But he warned: “If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before. If, on the other hand, they remove what may have been placed, it will be a giant step in the right direction!”

The United States would also use the missiles it had previously employed to blow up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters to “permanently eliminate” any mine-laying boat in the Gulf strait, Mr. Trump added. “They will be dealt with quickly and violently.”

Nearly a fifth of global oil production passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

The White House said earlier that the United States has not escorted any oil tanker through the waterway, after the energy secretary’s social media account posted but then deleted a claim that it did so.

Trump’s administration has listed eliminating Iran’s navy as a key military objective of “Operation Epic Fury”, the joint U.S.-Israeli offensive launched against Iran on February 28.