Trump Says Iranian Mine-Laying Boats Destroyed

WASHINGTON, United States, March 10, 2026 (AFP) - US forces have destroyed 10 Iranian mine-laying vessels, President Donald Trump said Tuesday, warning Tehran of unprecedented military consequences if it targets the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump's comments came after Tehran vowed that no Gulf oil would pass through the key waterway, with oil prices remaining highly volatile over the virtual halt of shipping in the strait.

"I am pleased to report that within the last few hours, we have hit, and completely destroyed, 10 inactive mine laying boats and/or ships, with more to follow!" Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

After several US media outlets said Iran had either started or was on the verge of mining the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said he had no reports that such action had begun.

But Trump warned: "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!"

The United States would also use the missiles it had previously employed to blow up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters to "permanently eliminate" any mine-laying boat in the Gulf strait, Trump added.

"They will be dealt with quickly and violently."

Nearly a fifth of global oil production passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

The White House said earlier Tuesday that the United States has not escorted any oil tanker through the waterway, after the energy secretary's social media account posted but then deleted a claim that it did so.

Trump's administration has listed eliminating Iran's navy as a key military objective of "Operation Epic Fury", the joint US-Israeli offensive launched against Iran on February 28.

US attacks on Iran will hit a new intensity Tuesday and the war will continue as long as President Donald Trump decides, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said.

"Today will be yet again our most intense day of strikes inside Iran," Hegseth told a news conference at the Pentagon more than 10 days into the US-Israeli war against the Islamic republic.

As for a timeline for the war, Trump "gets to control the throttle. He's the one deciding," Hegseth said.

"It's not for me to posit whether it's the beginning, the middle or the end," the defense secretary said.

What to know:

- The Government of India has invoked the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, to regulate the availability, supply, and equitable distribution of petroleum, petroleum products, and natural gas across the country. What does this mean?

- Hotels and restaurants across India are likely to stop their services in a few days as the oil distribution companies have halted supply of LPG cylinders for commercial operations following a government notification to prioritize domestic supply.

- A United States missile strike has reportedly hit an educational facility in the central Iranian city of Khomeyn, according to Al Jazeera, citing reports from Iran's Mehr News Agency. The site has been identified as the Dr Hafez Khomeyni School.

- US President Donald Trump said Monday that he will waive some sanctions on oil to boost supply and bring down prices, due to market turmoil over war in the Middle East.

-Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Iran's late supreme leader, has been named his successor, Iranian state TV announced early on Monday, as the war that began a little over a week ago with his father's killing took a dramatic turn. Read more about him here.

- India favours peace and return to dialogue and diplomacy and advocates de-escalation, restraint and ensuring safety of civilians, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday on the widening West Asia conflict.

- The U.S. military announced a seventh American service member has died of injuries sustained during an Iranian attack on troops stationed in Saudi Arabia.