US Claims Destruction of 16 Mine-Laying Vessels Amid Iran’s Threats

As concerns grow about the impact of the war on a strategic waterway, the American military said it had destroyed 16 minelayers, but President Donald Trump said in social media posts that there were no reports of Iran planting explosives in the Strait of Hormuz, where 20% of the world’s oil is transported.

The American military published this figure, along with secret images of some ships, after Trump threatened to hit Iran “at an unprecedented level” if Iran did not immediately remove the mines it deployed in the canal.

As the war entered its 11th day, both sides sharpened their rhetoric. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth promised the most intense strikes yet, while the Pentagon detailed the wider number of injuries sustained by US troops.

The effects of the conflict spread throughout the Middle East and beyond. Iranian leaders have rejected talks, threatened Trump and launched new attacks against Israel and Gulf Arab states.

In Iran, residents of Tehran said they experienced some of the heaviest attacks of the war. A woman said she saw a residential building hit. He and others reached by The Associated Press spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid reprisals. Tens of thousands of Iranians took refuge in rural areas.

More deaths reported in Lebanon Seven people died in Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, Lebanon’s Ministry of Health said in a statement early on Wednesday.

Other deaths included a Red Cross member who died early Wednesday following an Israeli attack on Monday that targeted her team while rescuing people following an earlier attack, the health ministry said. Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday killed four people, including a medic working for Hezbollah’s Islamic Health Authority who was treating the injured.

Also on Tuesday, the Lebanese army said a Lebanese soldier was killed in an Israeli attack, bringing the number of soldiers killed there since the beginning of the conflict to five.

Israel said it was trying to block missiles from Iran and Hezbollah, which began firing at Israel after the start of the war.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense said early Wednesday that it had intercepted several missiles launched at several sites, including Prince Sultan Air Base, a major air facility operated by the United States and the Saudis. The ministry said it also destroyed drones near two major cities.

In Iraq, drones targeted military bases inside Baghdad International Airport late Tuesday, two security officials told the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press. Some drones crashed near security positions in Iraq, while others crashed near logistics support areas used by U.S.-led coalition forces, an official said.

The United Arab Emirates said in a statement early Wednesday that its air defenses responded to incoming fire from Iran. The rich Gulf country, home to business and travel hub Dubai, said six people were killed and 122 injured in Iranian attacks.

Bahrain sounded its sirens early Wednesday warning of an impending attack by Iran. The warnings came a day after a 29-year-old woman was killed and eight people were injured in an Iranian attack on a residential building in the capital Manama.

The Pentagon said 140 US soldiers have been injured since the war began. U.S. forces hit more than 5,000 targets, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said.

The Pentagon also said Tuesday that about 140 U.S. soldiers were injured in the battle and that the “vast majority” of injuries were minor, with 108 soldiers already returning to duty. Eight US soldiers were seriously injured and seven were killed.

According to officials, at least 1,230 people died in Iran, while the death toll is more than 480 in Lebanon and 12 in Israel.

Iran’s leaders remained defiant after days of heavy attacks targeting the country’s leadership, military, ballistic missiles and controversial nuclear program. Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf, said on channel X that Iran was “absolutely not seeking a ceasefire.”

“We believe that the attacker should be punched in the mouth to learn a lesson, so that he will never consider attacking our beloved Iran again,” he said.

Senior Iranian security official Ali Larijani sent a warning to Trump, writing to X: “Even those who are bigger than you cannot eliminate Iran. Be careful, do not eliminate it yourself.” Iran has been accused of attempts to kill Trump in the past.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has faced increasing domestic scrutiny over the war.

“I’m not sure what the end game is or what their plans are,” Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada said after the Trump administration held a classified briefing for some lawmakers on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia’s oil giant said tankers were diverted to avoid the Strait of Hormuz Iran has repeatedly targeted its energy infrastructure in attacks aimed at creating enough global economic pain to pressure the United States and Israel to halt their attacks. Israeli and US military bases in the region were also fired upon.

U.S. stocks were steady on Tuesday as Wall Street awaited the next clue as to when the war with Iran might end.

Meanwhile, oil prices remained well below the peaks seen on Monday. Such increases are shaking financial markets around the world because of concerns that the war will disrupt the global flow of oil and natural gas for a long time.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it “will not allow even a single liter of oil to be exported from the region to the enemy side and its partners until further notice.”

Amin Nasser, chairman and CEO of Saudi Arabia’s oil giant Aramco, said tankers were rerouted to avoid the strait and that the company’s east-west pipeline will be brought to the Red Sea port of Yanbu this week, reaching its full capacity of 7 million barrels per day.

“The situation in the Strait of Hormuz is causing a large amount of oil flow to be blocked through the entire region,” he said. “If this takes a long time, it will have serious impacts on the global economy.”

Foreign nationals are leaving the region More than 667,000 people have been recorded as displaced in Lebanon – an increase of more than 100,000 since the previous day – and more than 85,000 people from Lebanon, mostly Syrians, have entered neighboring Syria, the UN Refugee Agency said on Tuesday.

The British government said the number of commercial flights from the UAE to the UK had returned to normal levels, with 32 flights operating from Dubai to the UK on Monday and 36 flights planned for Tuesday. However, British Airways said it was suspending flights to and from Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Dubai and Tel Aviv until later this month.

The UK Foreign Office said many foreign nationals, including more than 45,000 British citizens, had left the Persian Gulf region since the start of the war. About 40,000 people have returned to the United States, according to the State Department.