Donald Trump warns Iran on Hormuz mines as US destroys 10 boats

The crisis in the waters of the Gulf deepened on Wednesday as US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Iran, cautioning that any attempt to mine the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz would invite overwhelming military retaliation from the United States.

In a strongly worded message posted on Truth Social, Trump said Washington was closely watching the narrow but crucial maritime corridor that connects the Persian Gulf to global energy markets — a waterway through which a significant share of the world’s oil shipments passes.

“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!” Trump wrote, his message carrying both warning and urgency.

The US president said that any failure by Tehran to remove such mines would trigger consequences of an extraordinary scale. “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,” he warned.

Trump further asserted that the United States was prepared to deploy advanced surveillance systems and missile capabilities to prevent any attempt to sabotage the critical shipping route. “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,” he said, adding bluntly: “They will be dealt with quickly and violently. BEWARE!”

Within hours of the warning, Trump announced that American forces had already acted against suspected threats in the waterway. According to the President, US military units struck and destroyed ten vessels believed to be inactive mine-laying boats.

“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,” he wrote.

The operations were later confirmed by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), which said American air and naval forces were continuing strikes under a broader military campaign dubbed Operation Epic Fury.

“Hundreds of air assets continue to deliver devastating combat power against the Iranian regime,” CENTCOM said, underscoring the scale and intensity of the ongoing operation.

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes were conducted under direct orders from the President and aimed at neutralising any threat to international shipping.

“At the direction of President Trump, CENTCOM has been eliminating inactive mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz — wiping them out with ruthless precision,” Hegseth said. “We will not allow terrorists to hold the Strait of Hormuz hostage.”

He also delivered a pointed message to Tehran. “To the weakened Iranian regime: you have officially been put on notice!”

CENTCOM said the military operations were designed to blunt Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and project naval power in the region. “US forces are degrading the Iranian regime's ability to project power at sea and harass international shipping,” the command said.

“For years, Iranian forces have threatened freedom of navigation in waters essential to American, regional, and global security and prosperity.”

The escalating confrontation has once again drawn global attention to the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints — where even the hint of disruption can ripple through energy markets and international trade.

With IANS inputs