U.S. Destroys 16 Iranian Vessels Amid Mine-Laying Threat in Strait of Hormuz

A senior U.S. official told Axios the strike targeted inactive ships as a preemptive measure.

Trump warned on Monday that any action by Iran to stop the flow of commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz would provoke a massive U.S. response.

“If Iran does anything that stops the flow of oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America twenty times harder than they have been hit thus far,” he wrote on Truth Social.

He reiterated his warning on Tuesday, telling Iran it would face “military consequences” at a level “never seen before” if any mines were placed in the strait.

“If, on the other hand, they remove what may have been placed, it will be a giant step in the right direction,” Trump added. He also emphasized that the United States is deploying the same technology and missile capabilities used against drug traffickers to “permanently eliminate any boat or ship attempting to mine the Hormuz Strait.”

Sources cited by CNN said that Iran’s mine-laying activity so far appears limited, with only a few dozen mines reportedly deployed in recent days.

One source noted that Iran still retains roughly 80–90 % of its small boats and minelayers, which have yet to be deployed. While the total number of mines Iran possesses is uncertain, estimates suggest its stock ranges from 2,000 to 6,000.

The U.S. strikes on minelaying boats come amid soaring fuel costs, driven by the ongoing conflict between Iran and the U.S., and its allies in the Middle East.

Economists warned that continued disruptions to oil production in the Gulf and shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for a fifth of the world’s oil, could trigger an energy crisis not seen since the 1970s.

Meanwhile, Iran’s head of the National Security Council, Ali Larijani, pushed back against Trump’s recent warnings, writing on X that “Iran does not fear your empty threats.”