US destroys 16 Iranian vessels amid mine threat in Strait of Hormuz

Washington/Tehran: The war between the US and Iran shows no signs of abating. The US and Israel are carrying out heavy bombing raids on Iran. Tehran has also refused to back down. It continues to attack US bases in Israel and the Middle East. Meanwhile, it has been revealed that Iran has begun laying sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial international energy chokepoint, through which approximately one-fifth of the world's crude oil flows.

Mining in the Strait of Hormuz Begins

American broadcaster CNN, citing sources, said that mining operations have just begun and have not progressed significantly. A few dozen mines have been laid in recent days. One source said that Iran still possesses 80% to 90% of its small boats as minelayers, allowing the IRGC to lay hundreds of mines at sea. Meanwhile, the US military has launched attacks on Iranian minelayers laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

US destroys 16 minelayers

The US Central Command, which operates in the Middle East, said in a statement that the US military destroyed 16 Iranian minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. Earlier, Trump had warned Iran to immediately remove the sea mines laid in the Strait of Hormuz. Central Command also posted videos of some of the attacks on social media platforms.

Trump's Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, detailed the operation in a post on X, stating that at the president's behest, "US Central Command is eliminating ships laying inactive mines in the Strait of Hormuz. We will not allow terrorists to hold the Strait hostage."

Why the Strait of Hormuz is Important

• The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow maritime chokepoint that connects the oil- and gas-rich Persian Gulf to the rest of the world.
• Before the war between the US and Iran broke out, 20 percent of the world's crude oil production passed through this narrow channel.
• Iran controls its northern portion. Previously, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had warned that any ship passing through the Strait would be attacked.
• Since the war began, the channel has been effectively closed, and travel through it poses a very high risk. It has now become a valley of death.
• According to CNN, approximately 15 million barrels of crude oil per day and 4.5 million barrels of refined fuel per day are stuck in the Gulf. Countries like Iraq and Kuwait have no other route to send oil other than the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said on Monday that the US is exploring options to safely evacuate merchant ships from the Strait of Hormuz. However, US officials said on Tuesday that the US Navy has not yet escorted any ships through the Strait. On Monday, Trump said that the Strait of Hormuz is safe. We have numerous Navy ships there and the world's best mine-detection equipment.