by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – U.S. forces destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying boats near the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday as Washington moved to prevent Tehran from disrupting one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes, the Pentagon confirmed.
U.S. Central Command said the vessels were among multiple Iranian naval assets “eliminated” during operations targeting potential mine threats along Iran’s coast.
President Donald Trump warned Iran earlier in the day that severe consequences would follow if mines were deployed in the narrow waterway.
“If Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait… we want them removed immediately,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “If they remove what may have been placed, it will be a giant step in the right direction.”
The warning came after reports that Iranian small craft capable of carrying sea mines had been detected moving into the 100-mile waterway.
At a Pentagon briefing Tuesday, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said U.S. forces are actively targeting mine-laying vessels and storage facilities linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“We will continue to hunt and strike these threats,” Caine said, noting that many IRGC positions sit along Iran’s rugged coastline less than 21 miles from the narrow shipping channel used by commercial vessels.
Shipping traffic through the strait—through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil passes—has slowed dramatically amid fears of drone, missile, and mine attacks. Reports indicate as many as 250 ships, including about 150 oil tankers, are currently waiting in the Arabian Sea for safe passage.
Military analysts warn that Iran maintains a large mine arsenal—possibly up to 6,000 mines—capable of being deployed quickly from small boats or fishing vessels. Such tactics were used during the 1980s “Tanker War,” when Iranian mines severely damaged the U.S. Navy frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts in 1988.
The latest strikes highlight the growing confrontation in the Persian Gulf as U.S. and allied forces seek to keep global energy routes open.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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