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United States forces destroyed several Iranian naval vessels Tuesday, including 16 alleged minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
“U.S. forces eliminated multiple Iranian naval vessels (on) March 10, including 16 minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.
The command later added that “hundreds of air assets are continuing to project overwhelming combat power against the Iranian regime during Operation Epic Fury.”
U.S. President Donald Trump said American forces had destroyed 10 Iranian mine-laying vessels in the strategic waterway shortly after warning Tehran about potential consequences.
“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.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said CENTCOM had been targeting the vessels under Trump’s orders.
“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 followed a CNN report that Iran had begun placing mines in the strait, with U.S. officials saying Tehran was using small vessels carrying two to three mines each.
Trump, however, said the United States had “no reports” confirming that mines had actually been placed in the waterway.
He added that the U.S. would use missile systems previously deployed against drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean to destroy any boat attempting to mine the strait.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, with more than 20 million barrels of oil and petroleum products passing through it each day—roughly 20% of global consumption.
The route has faced major disruption since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, triggering sharp increases in oil prices.
Trump said Monday that the strait would remain “safe,” warning that Iran would be hit “20 times harder” if it attempted to block oil shipments.
Regional tensions have surged since the start of the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, which has reportedly killed more than 1,200 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and several Gulf countries hosting U.S. military assets.
At least eight U.S. service members have been killed since the start of the conflict, according to officials.
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