In this distributed photo obtained from the U.S. Department of Defense, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) sails alongside the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) and the Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7) in the Arabian Sea on February 6, 2026.
Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jesse Montford | U.S. Navy | Getty Images
U.S. forces sunk several Iranian vessels, including 16 minelayers, near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, according to U.S. Central Command, amid reports that the Iranian government is attempting to mine landmines in a waterway vital to the world’s energy supply.
The US announcement followed a post by President Donald Trump saying that if Iran had planted mines in the strait, “we want them removed immediately!”
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump said, “If for some reason landmines are planted and not removed soon, the military impact on Iran will be at a level never seen before. On the other hand, removing any that may have been placed would be a huge step in the right direction!”
The US president later claimed that 10 inactive minelayers had been sunk and “more to come.”
A CNN report on Tuesday said Iran has begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, although not extensively. According to sources interviewed by CNN, only “a few dozen” animals have been buried in recent days.
The report also said Iran still has more than 80% of its small vessels and minelayers and could lay hundreds of mines in its waterways.
According to energy consulting firm Kpler, the strait between Oman and Iran will allow about 13 million barrels of oil per day to pass through it in 2025, accounting for about 31% of all seaborne oil flows.
Oil prices have soared since the conflict began, hitting nearly $120 a barrel on Monday, but have since fallen. U.S. WTI crude oil, the global benchmark, last traded at $83.8 per barrel. brent It was $87.9 per barrel.
CBS News reported that Iran “may be preparing” to deploy sea mines, and said the country was using small vessels, each capable of carrying two to three mines, to lay mines in the strait. Iran’s mine inventory has not been made public, but long-standing estimates put it at around 2,000 to 6,000 military mines, the report said.
The Robert Strauss Center for International Security Law in Texas said Iran’s use of sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz shipping lanes would be “useful” either to cause direct damage or as a deterrent to steer ships into predetermined routes more favorable to Iran.
A CIA report declassified in 2009 said, “Iran appears to have recognized the limits of its mine warfare capabilities and has adopted a strategy of using a small number of mines, or the threat of mines, to interdict ships.”
The report added that Iran could use mines to raise insurance premiums and deter ships bound for Arab Gulf ports from entering the Persian Gulf, adding: “Such mining would be as effective as a blockade.”
Last week, the cost of oil supertankers in the Middle East rose to record levels, with major maritime war risk providers scrapping insurance for ships operating in the Persian Gulf.
ANKARA, TURKIYE – FEBRUARY 28: Infographic titled “Strait of Hormuz” created in Ankara, Turkiye on February 28, 2026. (Photo credit: Bedirhan Demirel/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images
President Trump said in a post on Truth Social last week that he has ordered the U.S. Development Finance Corporation to provide “political risk insurance and guarantees for the economic security of all maritime trade, especially energy, that transits the Gulf.”
“If necessary, the US Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible,” he added.
However, Reuters reports that the U.S. Navy is currently rejecting “almost daily” requests from the shipping industry to escort ships, saying the risk of attack is too high.
Although the Navy did not provide a breakdown of the risks, the United States will retire four Avenger-class minesweepers stationed in Bahrain at the end of 2025.
According to Naval News, a global naval publication, the Avenger-class replacement, the Independence-class Littoral Combat Ships, “struggling to meet the requirements of operational mine countermeasures missions.”
—CNBC’s Asriel Chua and Lee Ying Shan contributed to this report.
