The American military announced on Tuesday that it had destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying boats near the Strait of Hormuz after Donald Trump threatened Iran with significant “military consequences” if Tehran decided to mine this crucial passage for oil and gas transport.
“The American forces eliminated several Iranian warships on March 10, including 16 mine-laying ships near the Strait of Hormuz,” the army stated.
Trump had previously announced that several boats had been destroyed: “I am happy to announce that in the past few hours, we have hit and completely destroyed 10 inactive mine-laying boats and/or ships, with more to follow!” he stated on his Truth Social platform.
He warned of significant “military consequences” if Iran chose to mine the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes.
“If for some reason mines are laid and not removed immediately, the military consequences for Iran will be unprecedented,” the American president warned on Truth Social. “If, on the other hand, they remove what may have been laid, it will be a giant step in the right direction!” he added.
The United States could use the same missile measures they had previously used to blow up suspected drug trafficking ships in the Caribbean to “definitively eliminate” any mine-laying boat in the Gulf Strait, Mr. Trump added. “They will be dealt with swiftly and violently. Beware!” he wrote.
CNN, citing anonymous sources close to American intelligence services, reported that Iran had indeed begun to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic is practically at a standstill.
