Sixteen Iranian vessels have been blown out of the water after Tehran allegedly began seedingthe Strait of Hormuzwith mines — and Iran's parliament speaker has responded by declaring the country has no interest in a ceasefire and intends to make the "aggressor" pay.
Trump broke the news on Truth Social, sayingAmerican forceshad "hit, and completely destroyed, 10 inactive mine-laying boats and/or ships, with more to follow." US Central Command followed up with a fuller accounting, putting the number of mine-layers "eliminated" near the strait at 16.
The strikes came hours after Trump had drawn a sharp line in the sand. Any attempt to mine the Hormuz Strait — the chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of the world's crude oil passes — would bring consequences at a "level never seen before," he warned. "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!" he said.
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The technology being brought to bear is the same that has been deployed against drug traffickers in the Caribbean.
"We are using the same Technology and Missile capabilities deployed against Drug Traffickers to permanently eliminate any boat or ship attempting to mine the Hormuz Strait," Trump said. "They will be dealt with quickly and violently."
The scale of Iran's mining effort appears to have been limited. CNN put the number of mines actually laid at around a dozen.
That figure sits well below Iran's estimated total stockpile of between 2,000 and 6,000 mines, assembled over years using Chinese and Russian designs, reports the Telegraph.
U.S. forces eliminated multiple Iranian naval vessels, March 10, including 16 minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz.pic.twitter.com/371unKYiJs
Source: Daily Express :: World Feed
