Washington: The United States Central Command said on Tuesday that the United States military had “eliminated” 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, amid rising tensions in the region.
According to a statement issued by the command, the vessels were destroyed as part of operations aimed at preventing the laying of naval mines in the key shipping route used for global energy supplies.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump had warned that any mines placed in the Strait by Iran must be removed immediately.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that if Iran had deployed mines in the Strait of Hormuz, they should be cleared without delay, warning that failure to do so could lead to military consequences.
He added that the United States was using technology similar to that deployed against drug traffickers to permanently eliminate any vessel attempting to lay mines in the strategic waterway.
The United States Department of Defense had earlier said US forces were targeting Iranian mine-laying vessels and facilities used to store naval mines.
The ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran has significantly disrupted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments normally pass.
Meanwhile, Dan Caine said the US military was examining options to potentially escort commercial vessels through the Strait if directed to do so.
However, sources familiar with the matter said the United States Navy had not yet begun escorting commercial ships despite requests from the shipping industry.
Earlier, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright posted on X that the US Navy had escorted an oil tanker through the Strait, but later deleted the post.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later confirmed that the United States had not yet escorted any vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
A spokesperson for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps rejected the claim that any tanker had been escorted, warning that movements by US naval forces or their allies in the area would be targeted by Iranian missiles and drones.
According to Iranian media, Ali Mohammad Naini said any such activity would face a response from Iran.