The United States military has announced that it destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. Citing intelligence sources, CNN reported on Tuesday that Iran had recently placed dozens of mines in the strategic waterway. The Strait of Hormuz handles nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments, and earlier this week Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that no oil would leave the region if US and Israeli attacks continued.

US President Donald Trump, in a post on his social media platform Truth Social last Tuesday, said that if Iran had indeed planted mines in the strait—though confirmation was still lacking—it should remove them immediately or face “unprecedented” consequences. He added that removing the mines would be a major step in the right direction but did not specify what those consequences might be. Trump also stated that the US would use the same technology it employs against drug traffickers to permanently eliminate any vessel attempting to lay mines in the area.

The developments underscore escalating tensions in the Gulf region, with both sides issuing warnings over control of vital maritime routes.