 "US destroys 16 Iranian minelayers after Hegseth warned of 'intense' day of bombing")
The US military has said that it destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, after President Donald Trump warned that any mines laid by Iran in the region must be torn down immediately.
In apparent response to media reports that Iran had begun laying mines in the waterway, a key passage for oil shipments, Trump posted on Truth Social: “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!”
U.S. forces eliminated multiple Iranian naval vessels, March 10, including 16 minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz. pic.twitter.com/371unKYiJs
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 10, 2026
The US-Israel war against Iran has already effectively halted shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, along Iran’s coast, where a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes.
What has Hegseth said?
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday said Washington will end its war with Iran “on our timeline,” while warning that Tuesday would bring the most intense day of strikes so far as the US ramps up its military campaign against Tehran.
“As President Trump declared yesterday, we’re crushing the enemy in an overwhelming display of technical skill and military force,” Hegseth said.
“But we do so on our timeline and at our choosing,” he added.
Hegseth said the ultimate decision on when the war ends rests with Trump.
“He’s the one elected on behalf of the American people,” Hegseth said. “And so it’s not for me to posit whether it’s the beginning, the middle or the end, that’s his and he’ll continue to communicate that.”
Quick Reads
View AllIs Iran laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz?
According to a report by CNN, Iran has begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Sources told the news outlet that the mining is not extensive yet, adding that only a few dozen of them have been laid till now.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, now effectively controlling the strait alongside the country’s regular navy, can deploy a coordinated “gauntlet” of scattered mine-laying vessels, explosive-filled boats, and coastal missile batteries.
 "US-Israel Iran War Live Updates: Saudi Arabia intercepts 2 drones heading to oil field, defence ministry says")
 "Why Iran’s plan to lay sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz could be disastrous")
 "Greenland gambit & Iran tensions: Nato parliamentarian shares how the alliance is navigating tough world order")
 "How long will the Iran war last? Trump's mixed signals")
 "US-Israel Iran War Live Updates: Saudi Arabia intercepts 2 drones heading to oil field, defence ministry says")
 "Why Iran’s plan to lay sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz could be disastrous")
 "Greenland gambit & Iran tensions: Nato parliamentarian shares how the alliance is navigating tough world order")
 "How long will the Iran war last? Trump's mixed signals")
