US Says It Destroyed 16 Iranian Mine-Laying Boats Amid Threat to Gulf Oil Routes

US Says It Destroyed 16 Iranian Mine-Laying Boats Amid Threat to Gulf Oil Routes

Dubai : The US military said it took out multiple Iranian vessels on Tuesday as the Islamic Republic vowed to block the region's oil exports and concerns grew about the country's threats to stop tankers from using a waterway through which 20 per cent of the world's oil is shipped.

The US destroyed 16 mine-laying Iranian vessels, though President Donald Trump said in social media posts that there were no reports of Iran planting explosives in the Strait of Hormuz.

The American military released the figure, along with unclassified footage of some of the vessels, after Trump earlier warned Iran against laying mines in the strait.

Both sides sharpened their rhetoric as the war entered its 11th day, with Trump threatening to hit Iran at "a level never seen before" if the country failed to immediately remove any mines it might have deployed in the channel.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth promised the most intense strikes yet, while the Pentagon detailed the broader toll of injuries sustained by US troops.

The conflict's effects rippled across the Middle East and beyond. Iranian leaders ruled out talks, threatened Trump and launched new attacks against Israel and Gulf Arab countries.

In Iran, residents of Tehran said they experienced some of the war's heaviest strikes. A woman said she saw a residential building get hit. She and others reached by The Associated Press spoke on condition of anonymity to prevent reprisals. Tens of thousands of Iranians have sought shelter in the countryside. AP

UN warns of higher food prices, cost-of-living if Strait of Hormuz shuts

March 11, 2026 8:55 am

United Nations: The United Nations has warned of significant risks to global trade and development, including higher food prices and cost-of-living, if the Strait of Hormuz is closed amid the West Asia conflict. The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said in a report on Tuesday that the ongoing military escalation in the region due to the US-Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliation by Tehran has disrupted shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints. The narrow passage carries around a quarter of global seaborne oil trade and significant volumes of liquefied natural gas and fertilisers. "The resulting ripple effects go far beyond the region, affecting energy markets, maritime transport and global supply chains," the report said. PTI

Lebanon reports more deaths

March 11, 2026 8:16 am

Dubai: Multiple Israeli strikes killed seven people across southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Health Ministry said early on Wednesday. Also killed was a Red Cross member who died early on Wednesday after an Israeli strike targeted his team on Monday while they were rescuing people following an earlier attack, the health ministry said. On Tuesday, Israeli airstrikes killed four people, including a paramedic who worked for the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Authority who was treating the wounded. AP