US destroys 10 Iranian mine-laying vessels in Strait of Hormuz
2026-03-10 - 23:22
US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that American forces had destroyed 10 Iranian mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz within minutes of his warning that Iran would face unprecedented military consequences if it did not remove mines from the critical waterway. "We have hit, and completely destroyed, 10 inactive mine laying boats and/or ships, with more to follow," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, following through on his earlier threat. 'Ruthless precision' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that US Central Command (CENTCOM) had been eliminating the vessels "with ruthless precision" at Trump's direction. "We will not allow terrorists to hold the Strait of Hormuz hostage," Hegseth wrote on X, adding that Iran had been "officially put on notice." The strikes came after CNN reported that Iran had begun laying mines in the strait, with US officials saying Tehran was using small vessels carrying two to three mines each. Critical waterway The Strait of Hormuz is a critical maritime chokepoint, with over 20 million barrels of oil and petroleum products passing through it daily, representing roughly 20% of global consumption. It is currently experiencing historic disruption following the US-Israeli attacks on Iran that began Feb. 28, causing oil prices to surge above $100 per barrel. Trump pledged Monday that the strait will remain "safe" and said Iran would be hit 20 times harder if it does anything to stop the flow of oil. Conflict context The escalation in the Middle East has intensified since the US-Israeli attacks began, killing more than 1,200 people, including Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. At least eight US service members have also been killed since the beginning of the military campaign. Iran has retaliated with approximately 3,095 missile and UAV attacks against seven Arab countries, according to data compiled in Ankara, while Gulf states continue to intercept incoming projectiles and defend their territory.