In this handout photo obtained from the U.S. Defence Department, Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) sails alongside Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) and Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7) in the Arabian Sea, Feb. 6, 2026.
Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jesse Monford | U.S. Navy | Getty Images
American forces on Tuesday sunk several Iranian ships, including 16 minelayers, near the Strait of Hormuz, according to the U.S. Central Command, amid reports that Tehran was seeking to mine the waterway critical to global energy supplies.
The U.S. announcement followed a post by President Donald Trump that said if Iran had put any mines in the Strait, “we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!”
“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 in a Truth Social post.
The U.S president later claimed that 10 inactive minelaying ships were sunk, with “more to come.”
A CNN report Tuesday said that Iran had started laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, albeit not extensively. Sources that CNN spoke to said only a “few dozen” had been laid in recent days.
The report also said that Iran still retains more than 80% of its small boats and minelayers, and could feasibly lay hundreds of mines in the waterway.
Located between Oman and Iran, the strait saw roughly 13 million barrels of crude per day passing through it in 2025, representing about 31% of all seaborne crude flows, according to energy consulting firm Kpler.
Oil prices have spiked sharply since the conflict started, nearing $120 a barrel on Monday, before coming down. U.S. WTI crude oil was last trading at $83.8 a barrel, while global benchmark Brent was at $87.9 per barrel.
CBS News, which reported that Iran “may be getting ready” to deploy naval mines, said the country was using smaller crafts that can carry two to three mines each to lay them in the strait. While Iran’s mine stock isn’t publicly known, estimates over the years have ranged from roughly 2,000 to 6,000 naval mines, the report said.
The Robert Strauss Center for International Security and Law in Texas said that mines would be “beneficial” for use by Iran in the shipping lanes of the Strait of Hormuz, either for direct damage or as a deterrent, channeling ships into a predetermined lane more favorable to Iran.
A CIA report, declassified in 2009, said that “the Iranians appear to have recognized the limitations of their mine warfare capability and have adopted a strategy in which a few mines or the threat of mining would be used to deter shipping.”
The report added that Iran could use mines to raise insurance rates and dissuade ships bound for Arab Gulf ports from entering the Persian Gulf: “such mining would be just as effective as a blockade.”
Last week, oil supertanker costs in the Middle East climbed to their highest level on record, with major marine war risk providers scrapping cover for vessels operating in the Persian Gulf.
ANKARA, TURKIYE – FEBRUARY 28: An infographic titled “Strait of Hormuz” created in Ankara, Turkiye on February 28, 2026. (Photo by Bedirhan Demirel/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images
Trump said last week in a Truth Social post that he had ordered the U.S. Development Finance Corporation to provide “political risk insurance and guarantees for the Financial Security of ALL Maritime Trade, especially Energy, traveling through the Gulf.”
“If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible,” he added.
However, the U.S. Navy is refusing “near-daily” requests from the shipping industry to escort ships, according to a Reuters report, saying that the risks of attacks were too high for now.
While the Navy did not provide a breakdown of the risks, the U.S. had decommissioned four Avenger-class minesweepers that were stationed in Bahrain in late 2025.
The replacement vessels for the Avenger-class, the Independence-class littoral combat ships, have “struggled to meet the requirements of operational mine countermeasures missions,” according to global naval publication Naval News.
— CNBC’s Asriel Chua and Lee Ying Shan contributed to this report.
