US destroys 16 Iranian mine-laying boats as vital Strait of Hormuz becomes battlefield

In a statement on social media, Centcom said US forces had destroyed "multiple Iranian naval vessels", including 16 minelayers near the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier in the day, Donald Trump said US forces had destroyed 10 inactive mine laying ships.

The President said there were no reports of Iran placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

But Mr Trump warned that if mines were placed and not removed, the "consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before".

He added the same technology and missile capabilities used against drug traffickers is being used against ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and ships found to be placing mines would be "dealt with quickly and violently".

CNN reported Iran had started an operation to place mines in the strait, through which about 20 per cent of all crude oil flows.

Sources said only a few dozen mines had been placed, but forces could feasibly lay hundreds of mine in the waterway.

Iran is estimated to have between 2,000 and 6,000 mines provided by China and Russia.

Operation Southern Spear targeted drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean sea and videos similar to the one shared by Centcom were produced after those strikes.

Strikes then expanded to the eastern Pacific Ocean, off of the Colombian coast.

Oil prices have risen to record highs since war broke out in the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude spiked to as high as $120 (£89), but fell after Mr Trump said the war was "very complete, pretty much".

He would later write on social media: "If Iran does anything that stops the flow of oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far."

Oil producers like Kuwait and Iraq have no alternative than to transport oil through the passage.

However, Iran has been able to transport at least 11.7 barrels of oil exclusively to China through the waterway.

Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Esmail Baghaei, told CNBC vessels carrying oil should be "very careful" when traversing through the Strait of Hormuz.

He added that Iran plans to fight against Israel and the US "as long as it takes".

Israel also struck oil depots within Tehran, causing massive columns of smoke and fire.

The US was reportedly surprised by the attack, with concerns the attack could backfire and result in higher oil prices.