US strikes on Iranian vessels as Trump warns Iran targets the Strait of Hormuz

Meanwhile, the United States had launched an all-out assault on Iranian minelaying vessels on Wednesday, as President Donald Trump warned Iran on Tuesday of military consequences if it targets the Strait of Hormuz. Later, United States Central Command wrote on social media X that the figure had risen to 16 destroyed minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz.

  The Strait of Hormuz provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategically important choke points. It was known that nearly a fifth of global oil production passes through the Strait of Hormuz.