Trump says US destroyed 10 Iranian mine-laying vessels, warns 'more to follow'

ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump said 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 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.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said 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 the US social media company X’s platform, 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. Trump, however, noted that the US had "no reports" of Iran placing mines in the waterway.

Trump said the US would deploy the same missile technology used against drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean to destroy any boat attempting to mine the strait.

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 a historic disruption following the launch of attacks on Iran by the US and Israel on Feb. 28, causing a surge in oil prices.

Trump pledged Monday that the strait will remain "safe” and said Iran will be hit 20 times harder if it does anything to stop the flow of oil.

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.