Latest update August 19th, 2026 10:39 AM
U.S. destroys mine-laying vessels after warning Iran over Strait of Hormuz
(Reuters) – The U.S. military has hit and “completely destroyed” 10 inactive mine-laying vessels, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, warning that any mines laid in the Strait of Hormuz by Iran must be removed immediately.
In apparent response to media reports that Iran had begun laying mines in the strait, Trump posted on Truth Social on Tuesday: “If Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we have no reports of them doing so, we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!
Luojiashan tanker sits anchored in Muscat, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 7, 2026. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier Benoit Tessier/Reuters
He said that if Tehran did not do so it would face military consequences, without providing details.
“If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before. If, on the other hand, they remove what may have been placed, it will be a giant step in the right direction!” Trump wrote.
He said the U.S. was using the same technology deployed against drug traffickers to “permanently eliminate any boat or ship attempting to mine the Hormuz Strait,” later adding that the U.S. had hit and destroyed 10 inactive mine-laying vessels.
In recent months, the U.S. has carried out a series of strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific that it alleges were carrying drugs, killing dozens of people.
The Pentagon said earlier on Tuesday that it was striking Iranian mine-laying vessels and mine storage facilities.
The U.S.-Israel war against Iran has already effectively halted through the Strait of Hormuz, along Iran’s coast, where a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes.
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The top U.S. general said earlier on Tuesday that the U.S. military has started looking at ways to potentially escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, should it be ordered to do so.
“We’re looking at a range of options there,” General Dan Caine told reporters at the Pentagon.
Secretary of Energy Chris Wright posted on X that the U.S. Navy had already successfully escorted an oil tanker through the key water way, but later deleted the post.
Boats in the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, as seen from Musandam, Oman, March 2, 2026.REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo
The United States has not yet escorted any oil tankers or vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters when asked about the issue at a press conference later on Tuesday.
“A video clip was deleted from Secretary Wright’s official X account after it was determined to be incorrectly captioned by Department of Energy staff,” a department spokesperson said.
Commenting on Wright’s remarks, a spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards denied an oil ship had been escorted.
“Any movement of the U.S. fleet and its allies will be stopped by our missiles and drones,” Ali Mohammad Naini said in comments carried by Iranian state media.
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