On the 10th, US media cited informed sources saying that Iran has begun laying sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz. US President Trump issued a post warning Iran to immediately clear any deployed sea mines or face unprecedented consequences. The US Central Command later announced that US forces had destroyed several Iranian naval vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, including 16 minelaying boats.
The sources said that the scale of Iran's minelaying operation is currently not large, with only several dozen sea mines recently laid, but Iran has retained 80% to 90% of its small boats and minelaying vessels, so its forces are still fully capable of deploying hundreds of sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz. A US official revealed that Iran uses small boats, each capable of carrying 2 to 3 mines, to lay sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The current number of mines is unknown, but over the years, estimates have ranged from 2,000 to 6,000, mainly produced by Iran, China, or Russia.
Trump posted on his own social media platform, Truth Social, stating that although the US has not received any such reports, if Iran has laid any sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the US side demands their immediate removal. If not cleared, Iran will face unprecedented consequences. If cleared, that will be a big step in the right direction.
After Trump's post, US Secretary of Defense Hagase announced that under Trump's orders, Central Command has been clearing inactive minelaying boats in the Strait of Hormuz, and will never allow terrorists to hold the Strait of Hormuz hostage.