Iranian vessel with mine laying capabilities about to get hit (Screenshot from CENTCOM video)
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(by Emanuel Fabian, Times of Israel) – The US military destroyed 16 Iranian minelaying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, after US President Donald Trump threatened unprecedented action against Tehran should it target the key waterway, through which roughly a fifth of global oil shipments travel.
“US forces eliminated multiple Iranian naval vessels, March 10, including 16 minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz,” the US Central Command wrote on X, attaching a video showing some of the strikes. Trump had earlier put the number of minelayers destroyed Tuesday at ten, “with more to follow.”
The statements came as American media reports said US intelligence picked up on signs that Iran was gearing up to mine the strait.
Following the reports, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Tuesday that “if for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before.”
“If, on the other hand, they remove what may have been placed, it will be a giant step in the right direction,” Trump said.
He added that the US would target minelaying boats in the strait with the same type of missiles the US has used to blow up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean. “They will be dealt with quickly and violently,” he said.
Trump’s comments came after Tehran vowed that no Gulf oil would pass through the key waterway. Oil prices remain highly volatile over the virtual halt of shipping in the strait after the US and Israel on February 28 launched a bombing campaign in Iran in a bid to topple its clerical regime and destroy it nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The White House has listed eliminating Iran’s navy as a key US military objective. …..
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and other US officials are “closely monitoring the situation” in the strait, and the US military is considering additional options to keep it open, “including the potential for our Navy to escort tankers,” Dietderich said. The prospect of military escorts could help reduce price pressures created by the war.
Published at Times of Israel on March 11, 2026. Reprinted here for educational purposes only. May not be reproduced on other websites without permission.
Questions
NOTE TO STUDENTS: Before answering the questions, read the “Background” and watch the videos under “Resources” below.
1. The first paragraph of a news article should answer the questions who, what, where and when. List the who, what, where and when of this news item. (NOTE: The remainder of a news article provides details on the why and/or how.)
2. What percent of the world’s oil is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz?
3. What warning did President Trump give prior to the U.S. destruction of the Iranian mine-laying ships?
4. What caused President Trump to give the warning to Iran before we targeted the Iranian vessels?
5. The Iranian regime threatened to block Gulf oil exports by attacking ships passing through the strait. What is your reaction to U.S. destroying Iranian navy ships and minelaying vessels?
Background
What is the Strait of Hormuz – and where is it?
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important shipping routes, and its most vital oil transit choke point.
Bounded to the north by Iran and to the south by Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the corridor – which is only about 31 miles wide at its entrance and exit, and about 20.5 miles wide at its narrowest point – connects the Gulf with the Arabian Sea.
The strait is deep enough for the world’s biggest crude oil tankers, and is used by the major oil and gas producers in the Middle East – and their customers.
In 2025, about 20 million barrels of oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz per day, according to estimates from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA)…
That oil comes not only from Iran, but also other Gulf states such as Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. (from a March 11 BBC News article)
Read more about the importance of the Strait of Hormuz at: US Energy Information Administration eia.gov.
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