The United States (U.S) Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed that American forces destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels.
The Command revealed that the precision strikes come as the Strait of Hormuz maritime security situation reached a breaking point.
According to CENTCOM, intelligence reports suggested that Iran is attempting to “choke” the world’s most vital energy corridor.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass also reports that the operation, which took place on March 10, 2026, utilized advanced missile technology to neutralize the threat before the mines could be deployed.
According to military officials, the targeted fleet consisted of small, agile craft capable of carrying multiple naval mines.
The conflict, which intensified following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian infrastructure in late February, has effectively paralyzed regional shipping. The Strait of Hormuz maritime security crisis has seen commercial traffic plummet from an average of 150 transits per day to nearly zero.
In a post late on Tuesday on Truth Social, US President Donald Trump, who had earlier warned Iran of intense consequences “at a level never seen before”, said Washington has taken pre-emptive measures to respond to the threat Tehran had levelled.
“I am pleased to report that within the last few hours, we have hit, and destroyed, 10 inactive mine-laying boats and/or ships, with more to follow!” he wrote.
However, the U.S Central Command in a later post on X confirmed that the 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels were destroyed.
US Central Command overnight released footage of what it said were several Iranian naval vessels being destroyed by US attacks.
The footage released by Centcom on X shows ships of various sizes exploding after being struck with projectiles.
The operation comes after the U.S Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Dan Caine during a Pentagon briefing on Monday stated that destroying Iran’s navy was among the three key objectives of Operation Epic Fury.
Tuesday, which marked day 11 of the US and Israel’s war on Iran, saw some of the most intense attacks yet, according to residents of the Iranian capital. The sentiment was also echoed by U.S Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth who in a briefing on Tuesday promised that U.S attacks on Tuesday would be more intense.
Meanwhile, Iran has continued to retaliate throughout the day, firing multiple barrages of missiles and drones at Israel and neighbouring Gulf states, many of which host US bases. Many across the region, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait reported attacks from Iran on Tuesday.
The conflict’s effects rippled across the Middle East and beyond. Iranian leaders ruled out talks with the US, citing a lack of sincerity and a “bitter experience” with Washington, threatened Trump, and launched new attacks against Israel and Gulf Arab countries.
