US attacks targeting 16 Iranian naval bomb boats near the Strait of Hormuz (video)

Marking the 12th day of the US-Israel and Iran war, which began on February 28, American forces have successfully attacked 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. According to video footage released by the US Central Command, most of these vessels were anchored at the time of the attack, and 9 of them can be clearly seen being attacked.

It has not yet been confirmed whether Iran has laid mines in the Gulf region since the war began. However, due to intelligence received by the US that Iran was preparing for such an operation, the Trump administration ordered the military to launch this attack. The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf and the North Arabian Sea, is a highly strategic waterway through which about one-fifth of the world's crude oil supply is transported. Due to current security threats, oil transportation through this region has been temporarily suspended, causing global oil prices as well as fuel prices in the US to rise sharply.

In the 1980s, Iran also laid mines in the Persian Gulf, and after an American vessel was severely damaged by an Iranian naval mine in April 1988, the US retaliated. President Trump stated last week that he was considering deploying naval warships to provide security for merchant vessels amidst the current crisis. However, a social media post by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright claiming successful protection of a merchant vessel was later deleted, and a military official, quoting Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Kane, confirmed that the Pentagon has not yet commenced such operations to protect merchant vessels.

Under the current circumstances, mine-clearing operations in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz are handled by the US Navy's 56th Task Force, stationed in Bahrain. They possess modern autonomous underwater vehicles and sonar technology, and through specially trained officers capable of diving to depths of about 300 feet, the force has the ability to identify suspicious explosives on the seabed and immediately neutralize or destroy them.

Watch the video related to this incident ›