US Claims to Destroy 16 Iranian Minesweeper Ships Near the Strait of Hormuz
The United States military claimed it had destroyed 16 Iranian minesweeper vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. The action was taken after reports that Tehran had placed mines in a crucial shipping lane that had become practically closed due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The dozen minesweeper ships were destroyed on Tuesday, 10 March, local time.
“US forces eliminated several Iranian naval vessels on 10 March, including 16 minesweeper ships near the Strait of Hormuz,” said the United States Central Command in a post on X, citing AFP, on Wednesday, 11 March 2026.
In the post, they also included video footage of various vessels struck by projectiles and exploding.
US President Donald Trump had already warned Iran about unprecedented military consequences if they laid mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump’s warning came after Tehran vowed that no oil from the Gulf region would pass through the critical shipping lane.
According to AFP on Wednesday, 11 March, Trump said on social media that he had not yet received reports of Iran doing so, but then stated that if Tehran had done it, they should immediately remove the floating explosives.
“If for any reason mines are placed, and are not immediately removed, the military consequences for Iran will be at an unprecedented level,” Trump said on his Truth social media network.
“If, on the other hand, they remove what may have been placed, that will be a great step in the right direction!”
The US would also use missiles previously employed to destroy vessels suspected of involvement in drug trafficking in Latin American waters to “permanently eliminate” minesweeper ships in the Gulf strait, Trump added.
“They will be dealt with swiftly and severely. Beware!” he posted.
His post came after CNN—citing an anonymous source familiar with US intelligence reports—reported that Iran had indeed begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly a fifth of global oil production passes, and where traffic had come to a practical standstill.