Us Sinks 16 Iranian Mine-laying Ships After Trump Ramps Up Threats Over Strait Of Hormuz

The U.S. has sunk 16 mine-laying ships near nan Strait of Hormuz, nan Pentagon said, after Donald Trump threatened Iran complete reports of mines successful nan cardinal shipping route.

“I americium pleased to study that wrong nan past fewer hours, we person hit, and wholly destroyed, 10 inactive excavation laying boats and/or ships, pinch much to follow!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Tuesday.

U.S. Central Command later wrote on X nan subject destroyed a full of 16 mine-laying ships adjacent nan strategically important Mid East waterway.

Trump’s announcement came minutes aft nan president warned against Iran placing mines successful nan waterway that carries astir a 5th of nan world’s lipid supply.

“If for immoderate logic mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, nan Military consequences to Iran will beryllium astatine a level ne'er seen before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier Tuesday.

CBS News had reported Iran whitethorn beryllium getting fresh to deploy mines successful nan Strait of Hormuz, citing U.S. officials.

People acquainted pinch U.S. intelligence reporting connected nan matter told CNN Iran had already laid a fewer twelve mines successful nan cardinal waterway successful caller days.

Trump said nan U.S. was utilizing “the aforesaid Technology and Missile capabilities deployed against Drug Traffickers to permanently destruct immoderate vessel aliases vessel attempting to excavation nan Hormuz Strait.”

The president was seemingly referring to the arguable vessel strikes the U.S. has carried retired successful nan Caribbean and Pacific, which person killed much than 150 people.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday nan U.S. “will not let terrorists to clasp nan Strait of Hormuz hostage.”

“At nan guidance of President Trump, @CENTCOM has been eliminating inactive mine-laying vessels successful nan Strait of Hormuz—wiping them retired pinch ruthless precision,” Hegseth wrote connected X. “To nan weakened Iranian regime: you person officially been put connected notice!”

Iran has threatened to onslaught immoderate vessel that tries to walk done nan Strait of Hormuz, which is bordered successful nan northbound by nan Middle Eastern country.

Ebrahim Jabari, a elder charismatic pinch Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said past week, “The strait is closed. If anyone tries to ​pass, nan heroes of nan Revolutionary Guards and nan regular navy will group ​those ships ablaze," according to Reuters, which cited Iranian authorities media.

Tankers that recreation done nan Strait of Hormuz carrier lipid and state from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, and nan United Arab Emirates, nan Associated Press reported. Most of nan lipid carried done nan waterway is sold to Asia.

Oil prices surged Monday to astir $120 a barrel, nan highest since 2022. Oil prices later recovered, dropping backmost beneath $90 aft Trump told CBS News the Iran warfare is “very complete, beautiful much.”

Iran has “no navy, nary communications, they've sewage nary aerial force. Their missiles are down to a scatter. Their drones are being blown up each complete nan place, including their manufacturing of drones,” Trump said.

But uncertainty astir really agelong nan U.S. will proceed its subject run against Iran remains during nan 2nd week of nan conflict.

A caller Quinnipiac University canvass found 18 percent of American voters deliberation it will return weeks for nan Iran warfare to end, 32 percent deliberation it will return months and 26 percent deliberation nan conflict will past longer than a year.

At slightest 1,230 group successful Iran person been killed successful nan conflict, according to the Associated Press. The associated U.S.-Israeli strikes killed nan precocious Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His son, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has taken complete arsenic Iran’s ultimate leader. At slightest seven American work members are dormant complete the conflict.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has decried Trump’s statement for starting nan Iran war.

“The declare that Iran was readying connected attacking nan U.S. aliases U.S. Forces, whether preventively aliases preemptively, is simply a sheer and utter lie,” Araghchi wrote connected X Tuesday. “The sole intent of that dishonesty is to warrant Operation Epic Mistake, a misadventure engineered by Israel and paid for by mean Americans.”

Trump has insisted Israel did not unit America’s manus to motorboat subject strikes against Iran, successful an effort nan U.S. has dubbed Operation Epic Fury.

“I mightiness of forced their hand,” nan president told reporters.