Trump boasts US wiped out 'just about all' of Iran's mine-laying vessels as Hormuz threat collapses

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, March 11, that Iran had failed to successfully lay naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes.

Trump said US forces had destroyed most of Iran’s vessels capable of laying mines during overnight military operations.

His remarks came as tensions continued to escalate in the region following attacks on ships in the waterway and new missile launches from Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical chokepoint for global energy supply, with roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments passing through it each year.

Trump says US destroyed Iranian mining vessels, urges tankers onward

Trump said that the United States had neutralized most of Iran’s capabilities to lay naval mines in the strategic waterway.

“We took out just about all of their mine ships in one night,” he said, suggesting that as many as 60 Iranian boats had been struck in US operations.

The president added that the strikes had severely weakened Iran’s naval forces. “Just about all of their navy is gone,” Trump said.

Trump also encouraged commercial vessels to continue operating in the Strait of Hormuz despite ongoing tensions and recent attacks on shipping in the area.

“I think they should use the Strait,” Trump said, emphasizing that the passage remained safe for maritime traffic.

Earlier on Wednesday, three vessels were attacked in the waterway, according to reports. Iran claimed responsibility for attacking at least two of the ships.

The Strait of Hormuz has become a focal point in the escalating conflict between Iran and the United States and its allies.

The narrow passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman serves as one of the world’s most important maritime routes for energy exports.

Officials say that more than 20% of global oil trade passes through the strait annually, making disruptions in the area a major concern for global markets.

Military issues port alerts as Iran threatens retaliation

As tensions intensified around the strait, US Central Command (CENTCOM) issued a warning advising civilians to avoid areas near Iranian naval vessels and ports connected to military operations. 

The warning was also published on the command’s Farsi-language and Arabic-language social media accounts. 

“Iranian dockworkers, administrative personnel, and commercial vessel crews should avoid Iranian naval vessels and military equipment,” the statement said.

CENTCOM added that ports along the Strait of Hormuz, including civilian facilities, could be considered “legitimate military targets under international law” if they were used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps to conduct military operations.

Iran responded with its own warnings. A spokesperson for the country’s armed forces said Tehran would target ports across the region if its own facilities came under attack.

“If Iran’s ports are threatened, all ports and docks in the region will be our legitimate targets,” senior Iranian military spokesperson Abolfazl Shekarchi said, according to Iranian media reports.